


Second Wind

by Yueira



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Awkward Romance, F/M, Fluff, Mystery and Thriller, Older Man/Younger Woman, Petcare, Some Fluff, Some Humor, Some Plot, Some angst, slow start
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2018-09-21 19:27:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 21,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9563126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yueira/pseuds/Yueira
Summary: Nanu comes across a popular pokémon breeder's magazine, and becomes friends with its top feature writer.There's just something about her that gives him pause, and inexplicably, she's drawn to him too.While he wouldn't go so far to call himself attracted to her... he just can't get her out of his mind. But who is this girl who flew from Kanto to meet him?





	1. Friends?

The AMA was running late, but she wanted to keep it going for another fifteen more minutes. Most of the questions seemed tame and light-hearted; there were many whimsical ones from her readers, but the questions on pet health began to be pushed further down the page. Those were usually her main concern, she could feel the anxiety pulsate through the screen. However, her editors had told her to keep it lighthearted and engaging, in the name of subscription numbers and all that.

Her eyes flicked quickly and seized upon an easy opening. Perhaps just one more cute question from a dgrp14xx.

_Yuki, what is ur favourite food?_

She chuckled. This was a classic.

 _I miss Kanto’s sushi and bento, it’s been a long time since I’ve had Kanto cooking. Luckily, I am quite adventurous when it comes to food, and I looooove spicy things. What would you recommend from your hometowns?_ _(_ _っ_ _˘ڡ˘ς)_

And while the comments piled on that, she looked at the single-comment threads that referenced pokemon care. Picking through them, one drew her attention. It was made by oldmeowthguy, a handle she had noticed more frequently lately, someone who had rather astute comments about life with multiple pets and… well… life in general. He could come off as depressive, and rarely left comments unless astoundingly critical and on point.

_My Persian has been drinking a lot recently. She’s also been asking to go out more often. Should I be worried?_

_It could be nothing,_ she replied. _But take her to a medical professional if you_ can. _I don’t want to scare you, but it could be kidney disease. Best to have it checked out._

His answer was simple, and as usual, marvelously polite. _Ok. Thanks for taking the time to reply._

Yuki continued to stare the screen for a while, before returning to the thread on home-cooking invitations and family-owned restaurants, noting down some of the more interesting names and dishes. Though it was hopeless, she could stand to learn a few new recipes, and perhaps this time, they would turn out edible. 

* * *

 

After yet another long day, Yuki fired up her Navi device and started surfing Petdit, though this time, she was doing the lurking; she did enjoy learning more about other people’s lives. Living vicariously through others' experiences never failed to amuse her. She didn't see it as voyeuristic, merely that the world outside seemed so much closer when accessed online. Sifting through the usual fanmail, she discovered that a new direct message awaited her, from oldmeowthguy.

_Hi kid, thought that you might like an update. You were right. Thank you._

She had to reply to this, it was impossible to resist something resembling an enigmatic compliment.

_I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she’s doing better now =＾● ⋏ ●＾=_

She was a little startled when she received an immediate response, the notification popped up not ten seconds after she had hit ‘send’.  

_I appreciate your concern. She’s on several different kinds of medication and a new diet, still hanging on like the fighter that she is._

Her fingers seemed to move of their own accord. She felt emboldened.

_Could... could I have a picture of her? She seems like a tough old gal._

It was certainly forward to ask this of a complete stranger, but somehow, Yuki felt the need to help document this pokemon with a nice photograph. She could tell that the Persian was very much loved.

_Sure. One moment._

A minute passed, and she began to wonder if she had been too forward. Just then, an image popped up—a grey-blue maw and cool, beady eyes stared back at her from the screen. It was a little blurry, but she could tell that the Alolan Persian (exclusive subspecies to the region) was tired, light-coloured, almost white fur framing its eyes and jaw, blue jewel glowing dimly. Its quizzical expression seemed to mirror the face of the man behind it, presumably, oldmeowthguy.

He looked intriguing.


	2. The First Two Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if it's still interesting to read? If you have any plot ideas to toss my way, do let me know!

She had written her latest blog post in response to a certain someone’s query on felines. It detailed common care tips of ailing pokemon (low phosphorus levels and high in antioxidants), and available market brands of diets one could purchase for particularly fussy types.  Her editor had made her remove the homebrewed recipes she had used for her own pokemon, fearing the legal ramifications of less knowledgeable breeders using these ‘advanced techniques’.  Yuki rather thought that he had wanted to save these for a future issue in the main print form of their magazine, but acceded anyway.

She planned on sharing them if _anyone_ messaged to ask about cheaper options regardless.

The comments on the article came in fast.

_Oh my gosh finally! Will try out all 3 for my darling Kiki!_

_So is tis a paid-promotion? Evn on ur personal blog? sellout._

_They actually  taste pretty good with milk if you don’t have any human food at home._

_^wtf r u serious? Do people actually eat pokemon food?_

_Don’t buy any of them, this is obviously a ploy to sell things we don’t really need #homemadeisbestmade_

And it was then she saw her target audience’s reply, and her heart skipped a beat:

_She usually only eats whatever I do, but will look into this. Thank you._

The curt response only seemed to encourage her.

* * *

As he logged off, Nanu looked down at the massive creature that had chosen to sprawled across his lap, effectively numbing both legs with its weight. She seemed to be doing well, though he admitted that sometimes he could not tell the difference between worrying lethargy and its usual laziness.  He had tried to feed her wetter food to help stave off her thirst, but she refused to eat anything that had a mushy consistency.

Abruptly, the large form rolled off his lap and his thighs ached in relief. Right on schedule, Nanu noted. It was time for Missy’s hourly ‘visits’ outside. He grabbed the slip of paper on which he had written some notes, and headed towards the door.

The Persian had sat there and eyed him, her tail swishing with a tinge of impatience.

“Give an old man a break,” he murmured as he opened the door, and the large cat squeezed out quickly, breaking into a quick trot towards the nearest patch of grass.

He called out after her, “I’ll head into town for a bit, be back soon.”

He hoped that the store would deliver what he needed.


	3. Ask and Receive

Stepping into the Pokémon Centre, Nanu walked over to the Poké Mart counter, waiting in line behind some chattering kids. They were all wearing the charms that showed that they were on their island challenge, and Nanu groaned inwardly. There were at least five of them, and it was a certainty that they would pounce and demand a battle as soon as he stepped out of the building later. Nanu thanked the gods that Pokémon Centres were considered sanctuaries.

“Good afternoon, how may I help you?” The boy manning the counter was cheerful and chirpy as always.

Pushing the notepaper across the glass surface of the counter, Nanu replied, still eyeing the youngsters who were whispering as they left the Pokémon centre. “Just getting a few things. Do you stock these here?”

The young man looked at the tiny slip of paper before glancing back up to meet his eyes apologetically. “These are premium brand feed… we only have them at our main store in Malie city. I’m afrai—”

Nanu was already sighing, and turning to leave. He supposed that he could always page for a Tauros ride, but those were ridiculously fast and jarring to the point that he had the sneaking suspicion one day, he would end up a smear across the road. He never understood how Hala and Olivia enjoyed them. Sitting on one of the sofas scattered around the clinic, Nanu closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. Charizards could barely carry a grown man, let alone one laden with sacks of pokemon feed.

“Hey, delivery’s here. Where do we put them?” A Machamp had entered the Pokémon Centre alongside a short burly man, all four arms laden with large bags.

The youngster manning the Poké Mart sputtered in confusion. “Wha—? There weren’t supposed to be any today—”

Nanu hung back idly and watched the exchange. “Beats me, just following up on the order on our end.” The delivery man shrugged.

“Six bags of this fancy special pokemon feed. Three dry, three wet. Clearly specified, right here.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you, we didn—” The Poké Mart clerk stopped gesticulating and for a moment, looked defeated.

“I could take them off your hands.” The clerk spun around sharply and faced Nanu. The young man looked embarrassed, and Nanu fought to keep a straight, nonchalant face. “Well, sir, I guess this is some kind of good luck, right?”

He shrugged. “Sure seems like it. How much for them all?”

“It’s already been paid for.” The delivery man shrugged again as the Machamp unloaded the goods next to him, placing them neatly into a precariously high stack.

Still, as far as free items went, the feed looked a little too pricey to accept, and Nanu did not want to leave more misfortune to fall upon the innocent shop staff. Just thinking about the trouble that could come from this made him a little uncomfortable. “I’ll sign for it, just in case its owner comes looking.”

The clerk made out a receipt immediately. It was clear that he was nervous about this irregularity.

 _Whew. These_ _were not cheap, even if one included the discount Poké Mart usually afforded to Kahunas._

He wondered if it was Tapu Bulu working its magi— and Nanu dismissed the thought as soon as it formed. Though an Island God, purchasing pokemon feed for elderly cats seemed a little out of its domain.

* * *

 

Nothing could induce Nanu to make himself available for persistent bunch of trial-goers outside (who had no sense of timing) for it was almost dinnertime. While waiting for a Machamp assistant of his own, Nanu flipped through numerous magazines that littered the tables at the Pokémon Centre. Most of them were on pokemon care, and despite their outward appearance, were published pretty recently.

One publication stood out among them, and Nanu drew it out from under the pile, well-thumbed and creased, slightly torn in areas. On the glossy cover was what appeared to be the magazine’s youngest and newest writer, and the lower half of her face was covered completely by a thick scarf. Nanu was drawn to her eyes, the most piercing shade of blue, and this gave her face an arresting glow. It was certainly odd that they would feature a woman's face on the cover of a Pokémon breeding magazine.

“Won several awards, huh?” He glanced at the blurb written, though he kept returning to the penetrating gaze. Yuki. Her name seemed familiar, perhaps Nanu had seen her in the news before. It certainly was likely; the magazine touted her as a rising star in many areas relating to pokemon breeding and grooming.

The growl of a Machamp interrupted his thoughts, and Nanu looked up to see the hulking pokemon looming overhead. Directing its attention to the pile of bags in the corner with an angle of his head, he took the magazine over to the Poké Mart clerk.

“Look, I know it’s the end of the month and these things usually sell out, but do you have one more lying around somewhere, for sale?”

The man gave a short bark of laughter, before catching Nanu’s steely gaze, and quickly wiped the smile off his face. “It certainly sold very well, this is the last of our third restock.” He rummaged under the counter, producing a copy that was in a more pristine condition.

“And of course, the poster, as advertised. Thank you for your patronage.” The young man bowed deeply, hiding a growing grin as he wrapped the items in nondescript brown paper.

Nanu took the bag with no small amount of bemusement, and this puzzling matter held his attention while he and the paged Machamp walked back to the police station on the rainy outskirts of Po Town. He didn't even notice the crowd of trial-goers along the way.

As expected, Missy was not happy about his late appearance, and had narrowed her eyes in suspicion when he put a heaping bowl in front of her. Nanu had thought that she would out-rightly refuse to taste the feed, for she had acquired a taste for human food. She was also notoriously picky about taste, and preferred the driest Masalada one could get. Luckily, her hunger had gotten the better of her, and she devoured the fragrant mixture of wet and dry feed with little hesitation. Within five minutes, she was licking the bowl clean, a first in a long while. 

* * *

 It was only after Nanu began unfurling the wrapped poster that he understood the reason for the clerk’s amusement.

The same image on the cover of the magazine had been magnified on the poster, and the girl's intense gaze was now penetrating, uncomfortably so. 

Nanu hastily rolled it back up, tucking it away behind a table. Heat rose in his cheeks, strangely enough; given that he hadn't been out walking under the sun. 

It almost felt like...

No, no that couldn't be it. He barely had enough time for the current ladies in his life (who walked on all fours and glared at him when he was late with dinner) to be feeling this way about a girl on a magazine cover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this. Thanks everyone for your support!


	4. Knowing

“Hello? Yeah, I was thinking about doing a longer job on… more exotic locales. A few pieces from a region few people have heard of, you know—”

_Onscreen, the editor narrowed his eyes, and Yuki knew that he was building a defense against her suggestions. He had that same look whenever she wanted to change the topics of her assignments. Specifically where?_

“Hmm…” She affected a look of deep thought on her face. “You know the Alolan region?”

_Scratching one furry cheek, the editor frowned even deeper. We were already going to send someone else to Alola. Paniola Ranch wanted a special feature, they were very excited to sponsor Akamu, you know, he’s from there. They prefer natives, you know?_

She paused, processing this abrupt kink in her plans. “Oh. Do you think he’d like to switch?”

 _He waved a hand in front of his face. Nah, just stay there on your island. Keep doing those articles on eevees and other cute pokemon. They’re your thing. The readers love the cute, squishy kind of articles._ _Your articles._

“But I—” She began, but line had already been cut off. “I didn’t sign up to just be some token girl on your cover.” She muttered to herself.

She knew that she needed to make some very well-thought-out plans, and hopefully, none of them would involve seduction, or tears. Yet.

* * *

Nanu watched as Missy lay in the rare block of sunlight that shone through the open door of the police station. She was all stretched out, snoozing with the other meowths, none of which were her own brood. Her kittens did not survive childbirth, but it didn’t even seem to faze her when this bunch had followed Nanu home one rainy night, mewling from a box he had scooped them in. She took one look at the ‘kitten box’, grabbed one of them by the scruff, and laid him on the spare couch, before bringing another sodden body, then another, and still more, deeper into the already-cluttered room of the station.

Before he knew it, they were a family of nine.

It hadn’t been easy, raising them all since that fateful night, a mudslide had occurred around route 17, burying a few of the nests and dens in the area. Some villagers had tried to help relocate these pokemon, but somehow, Nanu was left holding the literal box. Alolan meowths were common, but they tended to be aloof. These traits did not make them as popular as rockruffs, or pyukumukus, which tended to be more affectionate and unusual pets. No one really wanted more than one meowth. But to him, they were alright, they didn’t really care who or what you were as long as they were fed, and clean, and dry.

Nanu read the magazine for the third time. He had no idea that the forum he had joined was one that this Yuki had made to interact more with her fans. She certainly was a fan favourite, although her gimmick was that her articles were all on invariably, adorable pokemon and their needs as pets. Analyses on their favourite food types, tastes, odd fancies were definitely top-notch, though the intensity of her writing was continually punctuated by emojis. He counted himself lucky that meowths were considered ‘lucky’ overseas, and a small feature had been done on improving the well-being of its evolutionary form. Nanu made a mental note to subscribe to this series.

 _Mrooowwwwlll_. Insistent cries came from under the nearby table, and Nanu peeked, to see two of the smallest meowths on each end of the roll-up poster, shredding it amidst their tug-of-war. This image incited simultaneously the worst anxiety Nanu had ever experienced, as well as the ensuing frantic detachment of the kittens from his prec—from the collectible poster.

She— _it_ was saved, somewhat. Nanu stashed the poster in a drawer, making sure to tuck it away, safely out of sight.

* * *

Choking when he saw a message appear on the home page of Petdit that very evening, Nanu felt the chill of danger clutch his chest. He had lost his appetite for noodles.

 _Hi everyone! For the next issue of our magazine, we’ll be focusing on the islands of Alola! Many alolan variants await our discovery— d_ _o look out for us as we explore the sunny region!_ _＼_ _(_ _≧_ _▽≦_ _)_ _／_

 _Panic._ He had not felt this way in a long time.


	5. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder about this chapter. The story sort of just... developed differently from what I expected. Some feedback, please!

_**You told them what?!** _  Voices raised, tempers flaring.

Arms folded. _I told them that we would focus on Alola. You know, since Akamu would be headed there, it would be cost effective to do more articles in the region?_ She was already packed.

 _ **Do you even have any idea of how magazines are organized? We don’t just focus entire issues to one region, we are not encyclopaedias or national ge—**_ A dismissive snort from her punctuated him mid-speech.

Hands had to hold him back. _Dangerous waters_ , they warned. She did not care.

_Maybe it’s time we do something different, I’m sick of being told to stick to my “niche” that you completely made up just so it would appeal to the “cute” crowd—_

_**I hired you to do what I tell you to do, I gave you a job—** _

_A job?! You gave me layers upon layers of conditions! How many round and fluffy pokemon have I “featured” in my adorable emoji-filled writing? How many “gorgeous” creatures have I stalked and detailed, coloured lovingly with my pencils and paints? I play the role of a literary stereotype—_

_**And it sells perfectly well—** _

_But I don’t care if it sells well— none of us do, aside from you. We have actual souls._

A palm came down, and only her reflexes saved her, jerking away as it fell uselessly past. She knew it was coming, she had provoked it.

_**You don’t care? I fed you out of my own pocket and home, you ungrateful little—** _

_And as we all recall, I owe you nothing. My letter of resignation is on your desk, Brother._ She was surprised at how cold her own voice sounded as she left the meeting room.

* * *

Thunder rumbled overhead. The rain seemed to be spreading further south of route 17. It had been a long time since it poured like this over this specific stretch of road; the castforms were growing bold again. From his position on the sofa in the far corner of the room,  Nanu could see Missy paw at the front door, turning every now and then to glare meaningfully at him. “It’s late, and it’s too dark outside. Use the meowths’ pad if you need to go.”

It was only when he heard her soft growl that Nanu hauled himself off the couch, pull on his uniform, moving to answer his princess’s command.

“But you’ll need a rinse after—it’s raining so hard—it’ll be so muddy,” he muttered, half under his breath, but the insistent yowl made his movements just a bit quicker.

And out she went again, loping into the darkness that looked fit to drown the average person. Nanu grabbed an umbrella and had moved to shut the door behind him when Absol squeezed itself through the doorway, having bounded over the entire living area in a single leap.

“You too?” He narrowed his eyes at the Pokémon and shrugged in resignation as it too, trotted into the bushes in the pouring rain.

A piercing screech cut through the air, and Nanu turned in its direction. He had scarcely taken a step when Absol bounded back next to him. They advanced together in the direction that Missy had gone, and the winds impeded their every step, determined to keep them away.

_When we found her, she had a huge castform pinned, and she seemed as if readying a thunderbolt, hackles raised in fury._

_Brave girl! Show those rogue Pokémon what you’re made of! ∑(O_O;_

_Don’t encourage her. It’s not our job to choose habitats for the Pokémon who live round us._

_Very zen of you, oldmeowthman._

_I’m just being practical, we live among them, not the other way around. It’s only fair to leave them to their own design._

_I don’t think you realise how heroic you sounded in that statement._ _(//_ _▽_ _//)_

_Well I..._

[...] 

He had been looking at some of the older conversations he had with Yuki, for she had not updated on any website since that last announcement on touring Alola. Rumours were rife that she had left the company. Others claimed that her flight had been delayed, or worse—disappeared in its journey. Still more would say that all ferries from Kanto had been stopped or had gone missing—and the main website of her magazine had quietly removed her from their roster, which could only confirm the worst.

Irate fans demanded replies from the publisher, who ignored direct questions and pacified them with empty words. Nanu did not count himself among those who openly grieved for the loss of such a talented writer—clichéd as her topics were.

He found himself missing the intelligent banter in which she so gamely provided.

[...]

_Well I don’t want to alarm you but… your Absol and Persian technically could breed with each other._

_I… don’t really believe you._

_No no, hear me out, you’ll find this interesting._ _Owners often don't realise..._

 


	6. Hatching

In the days that she was gone, Petdit had incurred a war with Yuki’s ex-employers. They had refused to shut down her personal profile page, settling for relisting her employment details. Public outcry over her disappearance soon faded.

It turned out that many of her fans were rereading the old articles posted on her personal page. Nanu saw that they were replying to her usual AHA (ask-her-anything) page... Even when she wouldn't, no longer.

_Man, I really took her writing for granted. The rag is the same as all the rest now… Missing a spark. I miss the watercoloured pictures. I still have the eevee one on my bedroom wall. F--- that publication._

              _She wouldn’t have wanted us to boycott the mag, right?_

_She would. She was as vindictive as anyone of us._

_Nah, shes an angel. She wood not_

_*she’s *would_

_Shuttup._

_*Shut up_

_Anyway… She likes Dark-type pokemon. She’s probably living out some twisted fan's fantasy._

_Get out. You will not talk about our princess like that!_

_Jokes on you I liek her twisted                                                      around me. Kek._

_She ded yo_

_I h8 you guys._

It was depressing. Nanu admitted that he had logged on to check for updates—he had hoped that… _Never mind._ Nanu shut his eyes and felt an ache pulse in the middle of his head. Was this considered a missing person’s? Did the police even entertain reports made by people online? The database certainly confirmed the multiple attempts at filing, but there were no clues. She’d just… vanished.

The faint light from the computer screen was all that illuminated the room. Nanu glanced over at the Pokémon, straining to see past the glow. Missy was asleep, curled up on the small sofa nearest the door, surrounded by the usual pile of meowths. Absol, on the other hand, was stretched out on the floor next to her, at the base of the couch. Krok preferred the kitchen, and Sableye… did not appear to sleep all that much, as did Honchkrow. But, all of them were at rest, something that did not come easily to Nanu. Most of all now.

He considered going over to see Lo— _Nah_.

Nanu laid back down, settling in for another long night.

* * *

She had not considered how tough going off-grid would be, though at least she was half-way there. Dodging inquiries at every step was easy if people didn’t know what to look for—her hair was completely different now, and the eye contacts that muted her glacier-like glare were a godsend. She just knew that somehow, she had to head west, and though catching the same plane as Akamu had been risky… no one had called her out. Yet.

This insistent pull towards Alola just felt… uncanny.

Maybe she just needed a break. Her dramatic exit was completely unnecessary, of course, but walking out of that building with that many witnesses meant that he couldn’t touch her. She couldn’t be abducted immediately after leaving her employment, no, that would come later.

Ten long years of servitude, gone.

Perhaps the years had made them less vigilant.

None of them could have predicted this sudden rush of rebellion.

That, and this newfound boldness had not yet begun to terrify her.


	7. Bait

From behind the tinted glasses, Yuki watched the whole cabin from her seat at the end of the plane. She felt a little bit more secure now, having looped the scarf around her head in loose, ample rings. The ends of her now-short hair bothered her, made her feel exposed. She eyed the staff, and focused, every now and then, at Akamu’s spiky hair peeking out from the first row in the section. He seemed to be nodding off. Soon, Yuki felt herself do it too, and with just a few more hours to Alola, she felt her body relax…

_Her head hurt. Her hand hurt._

_“Miss, please turn your head a little, this way.” She obliged, and the click of the camera startled her._

_They were taking evidence of her wounds, the bruises on her face and neck._

_Looking down at her hand, she realised that she was clutching onto a pokéball._

_The nerves were so tight, no one had managed to make her open the clenched digits, that it had hurt to move any of them. She released the Pokémon—and out sprang an Eevee. It was called an Eevee, that much she knew. It looked at her, and seemed to frown as it sat on the floor in front of her._

_The suited people took a picture of the Eevee too._

_“Miss, do you remember?”_

_No, she didn’t. She shook her head weakly._

_Scribbling._

_“Yeah she seems to be a lost hiker, nothing out of the ordinary, right, wifey?”_ _The man in a ridiculous flower-printed top called out._

_She remembered thinking he was a liar, but didn’t have the energy to protest._

_“Yes…” said a diminutive woman to her left._

_More scribbling._

_Why were they lying? The suits seemed to take these as acceptable replies, and soon left with more questions than answers._

_The woman next to her handed her a glass of cold, sweet tea, saying nothing._

She opened her eyes again, and found that the plane was going into a smooth descent. Just a few more minutes… She breathed deeply. She needed to do this. Her first real journey in ten years.

* * *

Careful to let Akamu walk far ahead, Yuki followed at a distance behind. He didn't seem suspicious. He was not around for that fateful meeting with the editorial board, but she couldn't trust him to not give her away. Purchasing a tourist pass, Yuki was now keenly aware that her funds were limited and needed conserving. It was a good thing she had packed for sleeping outdoors.

She then boarded a different ferry from Akamu’s, eager to put some distance between the two of them. Melemele island seemed interesting, based on the guide book that she now possessed.

She walked out of the lounge with all the other tourists, and made her way to the head of the deck. It was sunset. Standing at the head of the deck, she began sketching again, hearing the cries from wingulls on the buffeting breeze.

Someone was feeding the brave little birds, which were starting to crowd the other half of the deck. Malasada—the fried bread, was a favourite among the local Pokémon. The little boy looked about swarmed by them, a funny sight. However, they were starting to become a little aggressive, pecking at the boy’s clothes and shoes for more of the sugar-dusted treat.

Yuki sent Umbreon out, and some of the smarter birds began taking flight. The blue rings on Umbreon’s body glowed, and a dark energy wave pulsed outwards, sending more ‘encouragement’ after the leaving birds. They were going to leave the ferry well alone after this, food and all.

Umbreon hissed after them before returning to her side. Its short fur seemed to catch little droplets of water pushed up by the ferry's path, and looked glossy in the advancing twilight. 

She was putting away her sketchbook when a voice called from behind.

“Hey Miss!” She turned, and her gaze met that of a young boy, who had his arms in the most peculiar position—stretched up behind his head. She suspected that he was trying to look nonchalant, but failed as the nervousness grew.

“You’re a Pokémon trainer, right?” He shifted his weight a little, nervously.

Yuki shrugged. “I suppose so? Why, wanna battle?”

The boy nodded. “I’ve never battled a foreign trainer before. Could we?”

“Sure, as soon as the boat docks.”

* * *

Another meeting with the other Kahunas. Nanu was starting to think that they were arranging these out of the fun they derived from each other’s company.

Hala’s little stage was certainly a comfortable place on a balmy night like this, but Nanu was not quite in the mood for the friendly jibing that usually occurred when everyone was gathered like this. The sleepless nights did not help his usually aloof demeanour.

“I now understand the reason why you don’t have a boyfriend,” He muttered in a rare moment of lucidity, which in hindsight, was not the best thing to say to Olivia.

Her rage was fearsome, as usual, and so, Nanu obliged with a Z-move in retaliation. Missy could certainly hold her own against the rock Kahuna’s Pokémon.

* * *

The young boy’s name was Hau—he had announced it as he sent his first into battle. He certainly had a lot of heart, as did his Decidueye, but it wasn’t enough. Her Umbreon was simply unearthly, and all its attacks were on point tonight.

“Man, you’re strong!” Hau had exclaimed when he recovered from the shock of the one-hit KO that had smashed into his Pokémon.

She knelt and took out a bottle of revive solution and began treating the boy’s fainted Pokémon. It was always good manners to heal up after a spar. Rubbing a slight amount of a green gel on the wounds the grass-type had sustained on the its unprotected feet, she blew on them gently. The cool gel took effect and as it came to, Hau crowded around, sheepish that another person was more concerned about the state of his Pokémon than he was.

“Thanks,” mumbled the boy as he called Decidueye back into its ball.

Yuki smiled and patted the top of the boy’s head. She remembered that this was what adults did when they were feeling particularly patronizing. “You can thank me by pointing me in the direction of a motel.”

“It’s a bit out of the way—Route 2.” He pointed to someplace north-west of their current position. It was then a sudden look of inspiration seized him—“Oh, I know, why don’t you come stay with us overnight? My grandpa likes meeting new people, especially strong trainers like yourself!”

Yuki felt that she was not in the position to pass up this  chance for Free Lodging.


	8. Interest

Hau was a chirpy child, insatiably curious about Kanto. She found herself reminiscing about all the good things that had happened after the editor had found her, mainly because of the food. The editor’s wife made up for her husband’s supervisory ways by treating her to fine cuisine as soon as he turned his back.

 “Wait, you’ve never tried _malasada?”_ Hau looked impossibly shocked. Scandalized, even.

Yuki felt a smile spread, not unwillingly, across her face. “No, but I’ve heard good things from the wingulls.”

“You gotta try one tomorrow! I’ll treat you!” He continued walking, with a larger spring in his step.

She followed the child, hiding quiet chuckles. “I’ll never pass on good food.”

“Oh yeah, Grandpa has the other Kahunas over tonight, but I think there’ll be space—”

Yuki couldn’t help but interrupt Hau, _“Kahunas…_ that’s… like your Island _Kings_ right?”

“Well… Miss Olivia and Hapu are girls, so… Kings and Queens?” He scratched the back of his neck.

“Ah, I see.” This was news; what minimal research she had done on Alola had just been on the Pokémon and variants, not so much the people. She made a mental note to write such vital information down.

* * *

Nanu stood up, having made sure that Hala was alive. The blow was merely glancing, thank the gods the man could really take a hit. He was just a little shaken by Olivia’s attack.

“Dammit Hala, don’t get in the middle of Z-moves!” Olivia muttered, pulling away from the group. Visibly upset, she turned away from the others, calling her Lycanroc back into its ball.

“Olivia, he’s tough, don’t worry. Your improvisation on the other hand, shouldn’t be a problem for this combat stage.” He patted the smooth wooden boards that made up the base of the platform.

The Island Queen turned angrily, eyes flashing. “Sometimes, you really are… _ugh.”_ She seemed to take a breath, before bowing deeply. “I’m so sorry, Hala, about eve—”

The old man was already on his feet, having shrugged off the uppercut. His Bewear came up and cradled him protectively, supporting the large man. “No, no, you shouldn’t hold back in the arena, go all out in full force battles.”

“So Hala, are the competitors ready for tomorrow?” Nanu changed the topic in a bid to ease the tension among them. He watched the newest Kahuna, Hapu, who had looked disturbed by their performance.

Hala still sounded slightly winded, “yes, I think we’re all set. Hopefully the _Tapu_ would be appeased by the battles of our Alolan youth.”

“It certainly is odd that they would be so active again, so soon after…” mused the shortest and youngest Kahuna.

The kahunas fell quiet, for what worse fate could threaten Alola?

* * *

“Hey Grandpa!” Hau called as he entered the lodge.

“Ah, there you are... you’re late…”

Yuki stared as an imposing figure walked towards them, his large frame and booming voice commanded her attention. While she could not deny that Hau bore some resemblance to the man, she was a little… amused at how the descriptions she had heard from the boy differed so much from reality.

“This is Yuki, she’s from Kanto, I met her on the ferry earlier—”

“And immediately invited to stay the night?” The old man burst into laughter. Yuki herself stifled a grin, and watched as it took the boy’s ears a grand total of ten seconds to flush red. He was hardly a teenager, but it did look suspect.

“It’s not like that!” Hau protested. “It was late and the nearest motel was far away and—”

“Well, you have to admit, it sounds exactly the way we think it does.” Murmured a voice from her left, and Yuki saw in the corner of her eye, a figure half in shadow.

“Heh, Hau is growing up, I see,” laughed a woman at the end of the hall. “Turning into quite the lady-killer, huh?”

“I… This is nothing as… as perverted as you guys make it!” The colour was now very visible even on the boy’s tanned skin, and he threw up his hands in surrender.

With that, Hau dashed away into one of the rooms, leaving Yuki to fend for herself, in the hall of Kahunas.

It was only then she noticed a quiet girl sitting on one of the furthest chairs, quietly evaluating the scene. This was someone completely too calm and perceptive, and Yuki reminded herself again, to be wary of strangers.

* * *

It was only when she left the Kahunas that Yuki began to feel like herself again. Any guarded replies and evasiveness would only arouse suspicion, so she forced herself to be cheerful, open, with the air of excitement, answering questions on her origins and plans. She had made herself out to be a girl who was eager to see the world (which was true), and would have camped out in the wilderness were it not for Hau’s generous offer (also true). She was glad that the police officer (having noted his uniform in her peripheral vision) had not asked to see her passport, and avoided even looking at him when she spoke to the others.

She finished the tea, and escaped to the bath as soon as she could, thanking Hala for his hospitality.

Sitting in the tub of hot water, Yuki closed her eyes, and realised that she could hear strains of the kahunas’ conversation, and with a little concentration, could eavesdrop quite successfully.

“Think she’s telling the truth?” this was undoubtedly, the policeman.

Hala’s distinct voice replied. “Does it matter? She seems genuine about being a tourist in Alola, that’s all we need to know.”

“Still…why is she lying to us?”

“Probably has her own reasons,” the older man replied.

“As much as it pains me to say this, but I agree with Nanu.” Olivia, the woman in revealing attire had seemed distrusting too. “But… it’s none of our business what she intends to do here, she seems harmless, to say the least.”

“I think, if you really want to know if she’s guilty of something, you should ask her, Nanu.” This was a voice Yuki had not heard before—it had to belong to the little girl with large braids, who had been so silent.

“Nah, can’t be bothered to.” The sheer disinterest in the man's voice was unreal, and Yuki found herself beginning to dislike him, even though his indolence had worked out in her favour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was somewhat inspired from the Pokemon Adventures Manga, Sun and Moon (Chapter 3). Thank you for reading, please let me know if you have any feedback!


	9. Awaken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the break, work's been busy.

Tiptoeing out of the lodge, the two were careful not to make a sound. Few lights lit the vicinity, and the rings on her Umbreon, Kou, glowed in the dim. They relied on the smell of the sea to guide their way.

After about twenty minutes of wandering through the grass, they came to the distinct swash of the waves and the muted crunch of the sands of the coastal inlet. On the beach was a house— a lonely, repaired thing on the sands. The piling was evidently driven in deep, Yuki noted. Sturdy, for a house with so many hastily-mended spots. Clearly the abode of someone who didn't mind.

As she set down her things, Kou padded away, bouncing on the sand, rolling and tumbling as he appeared to relish being cushioned on the soft mounds. Yuki couldn’t help but giggle as she watched the Umbreon dig a fairly deep crater before laying in it—he certainly liked the seaside, and it had been a while since they could find themselves enough sand to play in. The last beach they went to had been packed so full of tourists who interrupted her sketching with their endless requests for photographs.

The horizon was brightening, and the slightest rays of light cast a shimmer on the dark waves, which carried this glow and met the shore, and the wet sand began to gleam. There wasn’t enough light to sketch by, so Yuki settled for a nice spot next to Kou’s crater, feeling the brisk breeze as it buffeted inland, glad for her scarf, once again. Kou had apparently found a comfortable spot, laying his head on the sand, level with her knee.

The line of light on the horizon grew, and a minute passed, and the sky burst aflame, the red stain grew vertically. A crimson painting that spread overhead.

Alola was indeed, every bit as beautiful as advertised.

“Do you have a habit of sneaking around?” A voice came from close behind her. Still buoyed by the beauty in her surroundings, she leaned and tilted her head back, a smile curling.

“No, not at all, I’m quite loyal to lovers, though… I suppose I don’t have a long list of references for proof either.” This was when she found that the voice belonged to one policeman in sandals, and the sudden realisation caused her back to tense up, before finding herself flailing and falling backward into the sand.

* * *

Nanu stared as the strange woman tilted backwards and collapsed into the sand at his feet.

Her Umbreon was already out of its little hole and nudging its owner. It was a fine Pokémon, a little larger than the usual, a proud gait as it moved and glared back at him. Its blue markings glowed protectively in the warm glow of the morning sun.

“That was a hard fall.”

“I’m okay!” She had already scrambled to her feet and dusted herself off, though she carefully kept her back to him again. Her scarf had fallen when its owner did, and Nanu saw some large markings on her neck before she replaced the material again.

“Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.” He mused to himself as the clouds burned overhead.

“So… nice morning,” the woman kept her face away from him, and Nanu felt a sudden urge to make her face him... something told him that this was something he needed to see for himself.

“Are you secretly hideous or am _I_ the one who’s too ugly to look at?”

“What? No—I…” He could now see her profile as she half-turned out of indignation. Nanu knew that he could push her even further to get what he wanted.

“Well I don’t know how it is in Kanto, but it’s still rude to not look at someone who’s talking to you.” Her exasperation got her to turn fully, and she faced him now. But as Nanu studied her form, she seemed familiar. The almost-irritation expressed in the furrow of her brow created an intense expression that few women achieved.

And just as he met her gaze, her eyes seemed to widen and inexplicably, a grin crept onto her face. A sudden glow of heat flared up in his cheeks. This was not unfamiliar, and Nanu was thankful for the reddish tint from morning sun that was halved on the horizon. The red in her hair had caught that same glow, the shadow that had previously hid her features now dissipated in the growing light.

“You… have a Persian, don’t you?”

He looked away, breaking the hold her eyes suddenly had. Nanu was not used to women smiling at him.

“How did you…”

“You’re oldmeowthguy.”

* * *

Yuki felt at once relieved, happy, less fearful—and she was a little bit proud of herself for making it thus far. She had found him.


	10. Red Sky

“Who are you?” He peered at her face, eyes lingering over each feature, trying to place her green eyes and dark red hair. The disguise worked too well, however. 

Her hand moved to smooth the very ends of her hair, and she shifted a little before replying. “We’ve never met, but um… I really wanted to see— _Alola_ so…”

She could tell that he wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t question her. They stood there on the beach as the sun rose completely, and she wondered if he even realised… The muscles in Officer Nanu’s jaw were stiff and tight, and this tension extended down to his throat— he seemed hardly able to swallow.

Looking away from him when _he_ turned to look at her, she kept her head high and drew her shoulders back in a show of nonchalance.

His next words were a murmur, a whisper that was almost swept away by the rising sounds of wingulls. “You’re… Yuki?” Kou took this as a cue to roll around on the ground, he always seemed to know when she needed distracting. She bent to scratch his exposed belly, hands trembling faintly, taking the opportunity to hide her growing anxiety by bending down, past level of his evaluative stare.

 “D—do I look like her?” She choked out her response, though she kept her tone light and teasing.

Nanu remained silent. As she felt the weight of his gaze, she felt compelled to tell him anything—if only to relieve that look of utter disbelief.

The wind started to pick up a little in the silence, and the shudder of the foliage grew just a little louder. A few long moments passed, and Yuki no longer could stand this awkward feeling. She knew what she had to do. Straightening her back, her eyes followed as her Umbreon bounded over some rocks and into what appeared to be a rock pool. Now or never.

“Ac—tually, I’m her social media manager. I was partly in charge of the account on Petdit, replied to people on her behalf, manned some of her AMA exchanges, so that’s why I…” She laughed hollowly. “I… I’m not her.”

Glancing around shyly as she did so, Yuki saw the look in his eyes first spark into a sharp horror, before glazing into a dull dismay. At the same time however, she saw relief. Nanu was breathing a little slower, more regularly and she saw that the pulsating vein that had risen on the side of his forehead had began to subside.

 “Sorry if I kept your hopes up.”

It _had_ been the right thing to say.

* * *

“Wow you’re up early.”

Nanu barely acknowledged the sultry voice with a glance as he entered the room. The smell of breakfast led him to the food at the large teak table, and as he sat down to eat, he noticed that both Hala and Olivia were staring at him over their plates of sausage, eggs and rice.

“What?” He said as he helped himself to a plate. He needed some coffee.

“Well, I think he doesn’t want to talk about it, Olivia.” Hala continued with his own meal.

The other kahuna just shrugged and started on her own food.

The meal then continued in silence, but only for another five seconds.

“Hey Uncle Nanu, did you see where Yuki went? Her stuff’s all here—” Hau asked, around his mouthful of rice and gravy

“Yeah I saw her heading out to the beach.” Nanu answered quickly, sipping the hot Komala coffee. The rising heat in his face was surely from that of the drink.

Thinking back to the fateful meeting that morning, Nanu regretted that it had not gone any better. The initial shock had worn off. He heaved a sigh, and this sudden release in breath had not been one of relief, but rather that of tension. The stiffness in his neck thawed gradually, now that he had some time to think. It would all be normal soon.

“I hope she comes back soon, the shop opens in ten minutes…”

* * *

“Why did you come, really?” His question was curious—and he was curious, and while he had not wanted to appear overly interested in her, he found himself wanting to hear the answer.

This was clearly the wrong question to ask—her expression hardened, she looked back out at the inlet before them, and Nanu saw that the clouds had begun to gather in thicker, larger curls, not a good sign for the day’s festivities.

“We should head back.”

He was halfway up the slope before he called over his shoulder. “Coming?”

“Oh I’ll… catch you up,” she replied with a faint smile and a thumbs-up.

She waited until Nanu had turned the bend before tugging absently at the scarf around her neck, fingers trailing over the ridged edges and smooth patches of re-healing. Why had she come, indeed?

The feeling of freedom was one of uncertainty and just a little bit of fear. It was supposed to feel good, but it hadn't. Yuki found herself standing at the edge of the water, scarf now loose in her right hand.

A sudden gust yanked it from her grasp, shaking the colourful item into a billowing carpet that threatened to disappear on the breeze. Chasing its infuriating dance, she found herself stumbling as the wet sand gave way to her steps—and was suddenly pitching forward into a dive against her will.

Throwing her arms up, she crashed into the shallow water along the shore. She glanced up and could only watch as her scarf whisked itself out of sight, the wind snatching and spiralling far away.

Soaked and aching, Yuki decided that she would lie there for a while. She was already drenched, after all. A little rain wouldn’t make a difference.

However, as did the fine weather, the calm didn’t last— she heard a yelp and sat up, peering around to find Kou covered in purple goop, some kind of poison, no doubt. He looked extremely sheepish, and was trying to shake off the substance, but to no avail.

“What did you _try_ to eat this time?” Grabbing a rag from her small pack, Yuki pulled Kou into the water and began scrubbing.

* * *

 “There you are!”

Yuki turned to the sight of Hau, arms cradling a huge bag. He then hopped and skipped his way down to the shoreline, stopping where Kou lay. She was amused by the sheer amount of enthusiasm and excitement in his entire demeanour.

“MALASADA! Try one, they’re fresh!”


	11. Complications

There was a crack, and something opened overhead—a yawning hole of darkness that ejected something—large and black—before closing once again. It crashed into the water, sending a large wave speeding at them as the sea water displaced from its sheer weight.

“Hau, go tell your grandpa. That… that doesn’t look right.”

The boy hesitated, but his footsteps soon turned into a sprint. She turned her attention back to the thing that had fallen into the sea in front of them. The object had turned a large portion of the water a deep black. Some kind of ooze seemed to rise up, almost like the arm of a Muk… Corsola were leaving the water in droves.

Her breath came in shallow breaths, and the energy that pulsed off Kou began to send little ripples in the sand. Yuki clapped a hand to her neck— the cramping ache had come back.

* * *

“Hah—ha— Grandpa—”

An odd twilight had fallen across the island. Nanu looked up when the shadows stretched and faded into the onset of gloom. The wind was picking up, and the streamers rattled a little more violently now.

“What is it, boy?” Nanu called from his spot, watching the child catch his breath in the middle of the small square.

“Somethi—something fell out of the sky—”

It was then they all heard the roar in the distance.

* * *

Some kind of blood had pooled before her. It was a deep purplish thickness that clung to the sands, and yet, it did not stain the ground. It just collected in odd, rounded dips in the sand. But it _was_ dead.

“Kou, into the ball. Rest.”  Her breathing was laboured, and it took a lot of strength to even squeak out that short command.

As the Umbreon disappeared into the yellow ball, a purple rivulet trickled down her suddenly heavy arm. It was done.

Whatever it was, its massive form now covered half the sand in front of her. She sank to her knees in the sand, and stayed there for what felt like forever, not even hearing the pounding of footsteps and loud gasps as more came running to witness what the short battle had wrought. Curiously enough, the pokémon that had left the water remained where they were, huddled under the house that stood on the shore. They shivered as the rain began to fall.

She staggered to her feet, and turning, the growing crowd appeared to recoil as she moved towards them. They would not understand what they saw.

Focusing on putting one foot before another, she found her mind wandering again. There was no doubt that the police would come soon, and with them, more trouble. But one person stood in her way.

“Hey, you alright?”

Raising her head to look at the man in front of her, Yuki felt the world spin, and she fell as her body chose that moment to give way. The last she saw was of her arm, angry red welts rose from where the purple blood had trailed. Poison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been asked about the OC's motivation. So sorry if you wanted a bit more Nanu, will come in the next update.


	12. Truth

It had been a long time since Nanu had moved his body into motion quite like this; though the sandals were not ideal for the sprint, he broke into a run towards the shore— fearing what he would find.

There had been no warning from the Tapu this time; Tapu Bulu had not stopped by the station, as the usual method of contact. They had been particularly uncommunicative, even Tapu Koko, the capricious guardian of Melemele.

“Missy, go on ahead, you’re faster than I am—” he muttered as he released the feline from her ball.

She loped on ahead, large paws kicking up a little dirt in her wake.

The region of his ribcage began to hurt, and though he tried to regulate his own breathing, his muscles hitched a little as he tried to draw air into his lungs. Deep, shuddering breaths did nothing to slow the erratic pumps.

He certainly felt his age.

Coming to a halt when he saw the dispersing crowd, he watched the officers who had already moved to secure the area with their perimeter tape. It was then the scene flashed through his mind in its usual deluge of horror.

The all-too familiar crackle of the radio hit home.

* * *

 

**I think… it’s over there, Nanu.**

          Just stay close, kid. Behind me, now.

_( ______ continues walking forward, unheeding—finger on her wireless radio.)_

_The sound crackles._

**I...I think it’s some kind of Pokémon, you know… Too bad normal Pokéballs don’t work on it.**

_( ______ was a little ways ahead.)_

Whatever it is, it’s dangerous. You saw how it crashed through those trees… Reports mention it devouring entire buildings in—

_( ______ always interrupted him.)_

**It’s also hurt, and scared. The purple goop trail is its blood, no? There.**

_Keeping his eyes on her as he walked forward, he ignored her finger. She was their ace in this deck, which made her— precious._

_( ______ pauses to look at the nearest pool.)_

**Missy really did a number on it, huh?**

              I think they call it ‘ichor’. The ‘thing’ in question is far larger than—

                **Now you see, here’s where I don’t get it, how could something so big h—**

_Having lowered her body to peer deeper into the slime, the crash narrowly misses her._

_Trunk-like arms, impossibly long. Sharp teeth, rows gleaming out from within a colour darker than black._

_His voice is low, and he readies himself._

Get behind me. Now.

_( ______ doesn’t move.)_

_He looks at her as her whisper crackles through the radio._

**My… feet won’t move.**

_The steep drop was not twenty feet behind her._

_Creeping forward, he released Absol and Missy._

_They leap and tackle the house-sized creature, forcing it back, towards the edge, but not over until he is sure that she is in the clear._

Don’t move. I’ll come get you.

_( ______ nodded, trembling visibly.)_

_Just a child, he reminds himself._

**It's okay. I trust you, Nanu.**

* * *

 

He didn’t. Not anymore.


	13. Need-to-Know

She half-expected to wake up floundering in her own skin again, but she did not. Straining through her unconsciousness, tensing her limbs, ready to flail against any restraints, bracing for certain… She opened her eyes, uncertain, confused, sensing no such danger. Where was she?

“Ah, you’re awake.” Staring and blinking around her, a blob swam into focus, and Yuki found herself staring into the bespectacled face of a shirtless man. Why was he wearing a lab coat over his bare chest?

“Hot day huh?” The man raised his hand towards her forehead and she jerked backwards, wincing as her skin stretched taut in places she had previously only felt a warm sting.

The man’s brow knitted in concern as he withdrew his hand. “I—I don’t mean to alarm you…” He set down a cup on the table next to her, and seemed careful with his slow movements. 

“Where… is this?” She cradled her arm loosely, and soon the tiny pinpricks faded, though the residual pain still lingered. The ache in her neck pulsed a little. 

“This is my home—the house on the beach where you collapsed.”

Her silence seemed to warrant more explanation from the goateed man, and he obliged. “My apologies, I should start at the beginning: I am Professor Kukui, and this is my home, you fell unconscious on the beach after what appeared to be a battle with a creature with a poison that left those lesions on your arms and neck and—”

“B-battle? Whe— where’s Kou?” she started, pushing through the pain, struggling to get a foothold on the sofa cushions underneath.

“Ah your Umbreon? He’s being healed as we speak. I have a machine downstairs—”

But she was already dodging past him on unsteady feet, grabbing onto nearby furniture, narrowly avoiding a furry pokémon that was attempting to weave itself in circles around her legs.

She stumbled, barely made it to the stairs, but before she could venture into the gloom, something (the large puppy, she was sure of that) careened into the back of her calves and sent her tumbling down the steps like a heavy sack of pokémon feed. It nudged her side, though its weight had just about bruised her back when they both landed at the foot of the descent. 

“I… I’m okay,” she curled upright, brushing away the Professor’s concerns and apologies, as a memory struck her—she had uttered the same phrase earlier to… to someone else.

During her reverie, the man had led her over to a machine that glowed gently in the corner, emitting a faint, not-unpleasant hum. He gestured at the lone pokeball, and she could see that he took great pains to do this slowly and visibly. “Kou is here, he just needs some rest. As do you.” He also seemed very kind.

* * *

 

Her things were left in the dunes near the house, and Nanu pondered briefly if he should look through the bag, if only to confirm details against that ridiculous story she had spun. Standing up again, he decided against this, and chose to deliver her belongings to the owner of that lonely shack by the sea.

The sands beneath gave way to each footfall, and each impression his sandals made seemed more real that the fast-disappearing tracks the creature had left, driven into the sea by its wounds. The black ooze had slipped away too, and as Pokémon Protection Services managed to round up as many poisoned critters as possible… so had most of the evidence. Perhaps it was… no, he shook away that thought. No such demons anymore. 

“I let myself in,” muttering as he entered the small abode, noticing that no one was in sight. A solitary steaming cup was settled on a nearby table.

Eyeing the scattered cushions and an out-of-place rug, his gaze followed the evidence to the staircase at the far end of the room. Nanu sighed, this time, audibly, before moving in that direction. Unknown to him, the fret of worry had deepened slightly in the middle of his grey brows.

He was thus startled when a furball charged out at him in a flurry, a ball of enraged barking and the disturbingly pointy collar of pebbles driving into his ankles. Luckily, his flailing had saved him from cracking his hip or smashing his collarbone onto the hardwood stairs—grasping onto the nearby railing for support.

A valiant effort later, the canine looked subdued, successfully cowed by the stern demeanour Nanu had actively cultivated for moments like these.

“OH! Rockruff, who—”

Nanu glared at the professor while holding the offending pokémon by the scruff at arm’s length, breathing a little heavily for his exertions.

“Only you could have tamed Rockruff like that, Officer Nanu.” The man had the gall to calmly collect the pokemon in his arms, ascending the stairs slowly, before moving to pick up the mess that had aroused the kahuna’s attention. He hummed a little, blithely obtuse to the reason for Nanu’s presence.

“This is not a social visit, Kukui. Where is she?” the newfound edge in his voice only hardened at the other man’s attitude.

“If you mean the girl, she is resting, and cannot be disturbed for any kind of questioning. That is, what you’re here for?”

“That is my job,” he replied evenly.

The professor had released the rockruff, stroking its scruff gently. “She will remain in my care for now… I will let the police know when she is well enough for an interview. In the meantime…” he nodded towards the exit, still polite as ever, though infuriatingly so.

He fought to keep his face neutral, though Nanu felt an unreasonable anger seethe within him. Kukui was a good man, but… Taking a steadying breath, Nanu rose and stalked towards the door. He could not resist having the final word.

“Her things,” he said in as neutral a tone as he could manage, jerking one arm at the bag on the table. “The rest is up at Hala’s place—will get someone to bring it here.”

“Hala— wait, what do you know about—” Nanu shut the door behind him, pretending that he had not heard. Two could play at that game.


	14. Lush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter; so sorry, been having a bit of a writer's block.

Now as a rule, Nanu never imbibed alcohol without eating first. From time to time, he would be gifted some beer by the workmen who lived a couple of roads over, partly in thanks of his “job” keeping the roads clear from rogue trainers and the occasional pokémon rampage. Nanu suspected they felt some kind of kinship towards him, for they constantly tried to strike up conversations about the 'good old days', whatever those were.

Drinking was just something he avoided on a regular basis, and not because he wanted to maintain the wholesome kahuna image befitting the island. It would be a long time before Nanu would even break open a cold one, near-expiry, by himself — preferring to share it with his pokémon. He had not forgetten the time when he was a lush, the days he had sought to drink his conscience into submission.

Those days were firmly behind him now, that wake-up call from Tapu Bulu was not so easily forgotten.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m not falling off the wagon anytime soon.” Closing the door of the refrigerator, he shuffled back to the sofa, leaning back into its faded cushions. His back ached; muscles tight from the day’s exertions, twinges extending beyond the lower back. His calves were killing him.

Missy gave him a last glare of warning, before raising herself on her hind legs, pushing down on the special door handle he had just installed the day before.

It had taken her two tries to learn how to use it, and soon, she left on her usual “walks” around the perimeter of Po Town. There was no way he could lock that door anymore—though not that he ever did before.  

Absol slipped out too as the door closed, dashing out in a smooth blur.

He was always a mystery, that one— and Nanu couldn’t help but start to wonder if… He stopped himself. He decided that he did not need to know. The only thing he did know for certain was that Missy was too old to have kittens.

However, feeling a strange compulsion to prove himself right, he tried to do a search on the web, typing only the first three letters, before being distracted by the bookmarks he had saved on pokémon care— articles  _she_  had sent him. He now thoroughly suspected that the woman he had seen on the cover of that magazine was made up to draw in lonely subscribers easily fooled by a pretty face. It certainly was the case, knowing the people who seem to flourish in the comments sections of her articles and forums.

It seemed more characteristic of that woman on the beach (odd and awkward as she was) as being the real owner of that particularly rare Umbreon in those published photographs.

Massaging the space between his eyes, Nanu sighed as he considered that woman and the events around her again; feeling that everything seemed to happen too perfectly to be mere coincidences.

* * *

 “I imagine that the police would like to speak to you soon— there’s only so much I can stall their attempts…”

Yuki looked up in alarm when she heard the lull in his words. She was always uncomfortable in silences, especially when they were expectant and full of meaning like the professor’s.

“I… thank you. I don’t really remember much though, not enough to be helpful…” She concentrated on running her fingers through Kou’s coat, grimacing as she felt the bumps of irritated skin.

Kukui was definitely still watching her, his kind gaze evaluating her movements as she tried to concentrate on dabbing little spots of her homemade balm onto Kou’s lesions that no doubt resembled her own. A faint tremor in his body was all that was left from the day’s turmoil… but her pokémon’s heartbeat still raced far quicker than normal though superficially, he looked no different.

When he next spoke however, his voice was very grim. “I can only help you if you tell me everything.”

She knew that she would definitely have to trust someone in Alola, and it might as well be this professor. Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze.


	15. Time after

The message on the screen of his phone was not at all lengthy, but the attachments that came with it were; Looker was never one for summarizing reports, and yet again, Nanu had to stop the grimace that came from squinting at the words on this tiny screen.

He scrolled through the walls of text and badly-lit photographs, suppressing the urge to swear to himself in the crowded Pokémon centre. His enquiry into a missing woman should not have come back in the form of an email, especially one from an ex-colleague. But somehow, Looker had found out about his...  interest— yes, that was the word, in Yuki's disappearance.

This woman had somehow a total of 4 international police agents watching her every move— they kept up with her column and detailed her encounters with fans. Thankfully, they were unable to access her private correspondence, and thus were unaware of their conversations, general as they were. Why had a magazine writer been tracked like this?

Looker had been very reluctant to even pass him this very much-redacted information, though Nanu could guess at this— her wilful decision to disappear without warning would have been a very embarrassing episode for the force.

They had certainly underestimated her ability to vanish into a crowd.

“What in the worlds is going on here?” he muttered to himself, massaging his temple, almost knocking over the cup of coffee. The blanked out details were all essential information, there was hardly anything substantial there.

“Officer Nanu?”

He looked up to see the Nurse waving at him from her counter. Missy’s checkup seemed to have gone well. The feline form stretched lazily and slunk her way out from under the counter, looking quite smug.

* * *

When she finally finished her lengthy explanation, the two of them had gone through a pot of coffee, and outside, the sky was darkening again.

“So… that’s it.” She glanced back up at the professor and saw a man who was still calm, though the crinkle between his brows deepened as he considered her story.

“That’s… that’s a lot.” He muttered, and when he looked up and caught her questioning gaze, he smiled reassuringly, though it _had_ to be feigned, given the circumstances. 

She sighed, and the release of air released some of the tension that had mysteriously balled up in her chest since she left her gilded cage. She had stopped short of telling him about her impulse in coming to Alola. “I’m really sorry to have imposed upon your hospitality, Professor Kukui. I will not—”

His throat-clearing stopped her from rising, as did his disarming smile.

“Oh don’t worry about it, cuz. You’re welcome to stay here,” he looked towards the stairs that led up to a platform overhead. “…we could use some help on some research into Pokémon, and I think your expertise could be just what’s needed.”

* * *

Having printed the files out on paper, Nanu perused them again, this time, in their proper, chronological order. There was something familiar about her face, pale, scared, and yet… those eyes held the tinge of defiance, her raised chin and set jaw spoke volumes about her attitude to being photographed.

 It then hit him. She looked strikingly similar to a certain little girl Nanu knew once.

 But it couldn’t be her.

 Not _that_ little girl.

 So who was this staring back at him?


	16. Detective Work

So here she was, a week in Alola, and already sunburnt from fixing the roof of the Professor’s house (shack, really). He had no other assistants, or even a set way of carrying out his scientific studies, and Yuki was really beginning to wonder how the man could be considered the top of his field if he didn’t really document his findings, or conduct research in an organised manner.

His wife came home every now and then, and they were never shy about showing affection. She didn’t even bat an eyelid at Yuki taking over the loft. Something about island-living made people laid-back and cheerful, even when yet another hole was made while roughhousing with Rockruff. Having just left a house where one had to tiptoe around expensive vases and decorative plates, Yuki didn’t really understand it at all, but it was… a good thing, calming even.

It was all detailed in her daily reports for the professor (she had insisted on putting _some_ things on the record even if he had seemed a bit bewildered by her determination). She had also started keeping an online journal, detailing her time so far on Alola—the different flavours of Malasada, and the many pokémon variants that called it home, the people that intrigued her.

It was nice, to settle back into writing again, though now under another pseudonym.

 The Petdit drama seemed to have died down now, and it had stunned her when she realised just how large her following had been. There were tribute pages that kept getting reported, hoax sightings and even hilarious Photoedit battles that kept redirecting back to her last AMA. She missed it all, even though being forced into the role of a cutesy-art-girl had been disingenuous.

On this recent update, only three people had clicked into her newest post, leaving no comments, no messages. It was a bit lonely without a fanbase.

However… glancing over at a sleeping Kou gave her some perspective. At least they had a roof over their heads.

On a whim, she started some research on a certain police officer.

* * *

Nanu’s eyes sprang open when a large wet paw batted his face three times (now normally, he could have slept through the first two, but the third was right on the nose and beginning to sting) and found himself staring at the unamused Missy, surrounded by the litter of Meowths, all looking expectantly. Groaning as he got to his feet, he shuffled to the bag of feed and began doling out the morning meal. His back was killing him; falling asleep face-first onto the desk was going to wreak havoc on his vertebra for the rest of the day.

“Mrrrowwwwwl,” came the chastising yowl.

“I was doing some research,” he breaking off mid-yawn to scratch Krok’s tail. Absol nudged a bowl at Nanu's feet. He said a silent prayer of thanks that Honchkrow did not eat a daytime meal. “But you’re probably right, I should focus on… other things.”

“What are the chances of her actually being in Alola, I wonder?” Nanu murmured to himself, though this was surprisingly audible over the sound of the hungry pokémon.

“Argh, what is this contrap—” A familiar voice and several loud thuds could be heard from the front entrance to the station. Nanu sighed before turning back to the table, retrieving two mugs from an overhead rack. He was going to need a lot of caffeine; Looker always brought news of trouble with him.

He then turned back to eye the man stumbling through the entrance of his home as the electric kettle began to heat its contents.

“What did you do to your door?” The man was still wearing his iconic trench coat, even in the Alolan heat, and hence, perspired a fair amount all the time, and so it was rare to find him away from the air-conditioned room of his roadside motel.

Nanu ignored the question. It was his home, after all. “I read the reports, and I found some inconsistencies.”

* * *

“Why didn’t the International Police just take the girl into custody?” Looker had managed to get to get the original officer online for an interview, and seemed a bit surprised when the man deigned to appear on video. The man was framed by the wallpaper of a very nice hotel. Nanu could see that this man was not your run-of-the-mill detective, he was extremely well-paid, and had grown fat in the ten years since he handled the case.

The man laughed rather unpleasantly. “Your division was well-funded, but in Kanto, we did not have the kind of resources needed to take in _suspected_ Fallers. We deemed her to be in safe hands, so, we let her remain with the couple who found her. They are fine, upstanding members of society, well-respected and very hospitable. They allowed us to keep an eye from a distance, so there was no need to deploy more people than necessary to this case. The arrangement also worked for a decade, which in return, proved to be cost-savings for us. Hardly any incidents of Ultra-beasts too, unlike—”

Nanu’s patience waned, for his third cup of coffee was growing cold and undrinkable. “And now she’s missing, so how’s that working out for you?”

He was sure that the man was twiddling his thumbs in agitation, trying to squirm his way out of this, but Nanu was not known for being a patient man.

“Did your men even consider that she could be exploited by the people you left her with?”

The suspicions currently floating about online were that the magazine writer/famed breeder was never alone, always escorted by her editor/"brother" who would control her every move, though Nanu noted that these accusations kept getting flagged by unknown users.

The man’s face turned a fair bit ruddier as he sputtered onscreen. “Now that’s not fair—”

Looker made some frantic gestures off to the side at him, interrupting Nanu's train of thought. “She would have changed her hair and her—eye colour—and fled the country on a plane, or gone off into the mountains to—to—”

The rotund man appeared to have found his tongue then, and was working himself up into a remarkably rambling rant— that the colour faded from his cheeks momentarily. “Luckily for you and Looker, we know where she is. After connecting all the dots and going the extra mile, we’ve done our damnest to leave no stone unturned, always making greater effort to put our—”

“—cut the crap. Where is she?”

“Well, we can say with almost sufficient precision that she’s… in Alola.” The man’s smugness begain to seep back into his shiny face.

Simultaneously satisfied and exasperated, Nanu shut the screen off in reply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was a long time coming. Had to work out a few things irl, sorry!


	17. Avoidance

Nanu opened a drawer and pulled out a notebook—he had started keeping one detailing last correspondences, sightings of the girl, pictures but hesitated to reveal what was in it, noticing Looker’s deep sigh of frustration. “What?”

“I… just thought that you would be more polite, especially since _he_ could… send a complaint up and find out that you have already left the force.” The man’s words were very carefully chosen.

Nanu raised an eyebrow at this mild reproach, but did not respond verbally to his ex-subordinate for a while, letting the silence sink in a little. He was right.

“They don’t have to give you information. And all they need to do is to go up top, and then they will find out what happened ten years ago…” The man broke off his speech and gulped down his awful, tepid coffee with a grimace, seeming to realise that he was on very thin ice.

Nanu remained silent, opening the book and added a mark next to one of his many theories, scribbling another note on an empty page, before tearing it off and handing it to Looker, though a little less enthusiastically than he would normally have.

“What’s this?”

“A list of people to question.” This was just legwork, and Looker could handle it well enough; he had _some_ friends among the local police.

However, instead of leaving swiftly and without further confrontation, the man just sat, leaning back against the cushions of his worn sofa—idly plucking at a strand of meowth hair that had been trapped among other fibers. A curious expression seemed to grow in his eyes, and Nanu was again aware that Looker was watching him closely as he put the large book away.

“I… see. I’m not here to rain on your parade—but you remember the incident with the young woman on Melemele?”

“It’s been a week, and I haven’t heard anything back from—”

“Exactly, it’s not like you to…” His words trailed off, and Nanu had to physically force himself to meet the man’s gaze, careful to keep a blank face.

“To what?” The irritation, however, crept back into his voice, now suddenly throaty and harsh.

“To… avoid things. You haven’t personally followed up on that incident?” To his credit, Looker seemed to have gotten the hint and got to his feet, though the tension did not leave his brow.

Nanu found himself standing up too, unconsciously meeting the suspicion in the other man’s eyes. “It wasn’t necessary.”

“But—”

“It’s almost midday— you should probably catch the next ferry.” He said this pointedly, though finding the coolness in his voice a little regrettable.

* * *

He waited until the man had left, before taking another look at the notebook, gaze falling upon the last watercolour rendition of a very large, very distinctive, _very_ rare Umbreon.

“Something about you makes me useless.” Looker would likely get more out of an encounter with them.

* * *

 She had fallen into her bad habits again, finding it more fulfilling to sneak out of the house at night, Kou in tow, to sketch under the light of the moon and stars, content in the dim though the Umbreon did lend her some light (and courage) with his presence. She had found it so hard to change her art style, trying to bury the faint lines with heavy details so that few would see the resemblance these had to her widely-acclaimed pieces that had been published once upon a time. Having decided against bringing her water colours, her grey and almost-sepia pieces looked uncommonly rough, as was attempting human portraiture, big changes for her. Unfortunately for her skills, only one muse availed himself in her mind.

“None of these will ever see the light of day,” she muttered under her breath, absently shading in the figure she had found herself so obsessed with when the day’s hullabaloo sank with the sun.

 _His_  face grew so much clearer at night, and even when she tried to sleep she wondered about his Persian and his meowths. Sometimes she caught herself wondering what the man even did with his spare time, since he was clearly not interested in interrogating her anymore. It was inexplicable that she would come to look forward to him engaging her in some way, but the lack of following on her blog, and even the lack of visits from the police were beginning to leave her a bit frustrated. And so, she drew.

But tonight however, Yuki found that illustrating made her pulse race even faster than the usual, so she stuffed the sketches back into the recesses of her pack, slinging it onto her shoulders.

“Come, Kou—” She waved impatiently as the pokémon bounced out of its little indent in the sand, smiling a little at how its blue rings seemed a little more hypnotic than usual in this lighting.

Quickening her footsteps, she all but ran to the main pathway, head down, almost running face first into an older couple out for their nightly walk. They couldn’t see very well, but insisted on walking late at night, claiming that the brisk “sea winds” were good for their health.

She decided to walk with them, Kou leading their way to the couple’s house on the hill, even as they protested the whole trip back. She could be stubborn too.

* * *

 Leaving the glow of their warm house, Yuki walked in a direction that was the opposite of the professor’s. Dimly aware that Kou was somewhere next to her, she let her feet take her as her mind wandered again. She wondered if she should mention her nightly dreams to Professor Burnet, who did study those. Though her specialty seemed to be those which belonged to pokémon— they seemed not dissimilar to that of humans. Yuki had to admit that the explanations did not appear not very scientific when she had inquired, but she was at least in awe of the woman who was so passionate about her research.

“Hey watch where you’re goin—”

Yuki looked up, startled, into the large shadow that now loomed over her. The glow from Kou grew brighter as his hackles started to rise. She continued to stare, trying to organise her distracted thoughts, and orientating herself in reality.

“Watcha lookin’ at?”

The blue light revealed the speaker's torso and later, his face and briefly, Yuki thought she was looking at an alien—the large dark and light markings on the person’s clothes was rather disorientating in the dim. The figure was clearly human, and male, one who was broad in the shoulders, and had a shock of white hair. His menacing scowl and his possession of pokémon however, was not comforting.


	18. Warn

 Just a sliver of light remained as the moon ducked behind a heavy thick curtain, but the blue glow next to her only grew, revealing more than just the eagerness of her Umbreon.

 “Looks like we gotta battle then,” the figured muttered as he took a step backwards, out of range of the protective circle cast by the dark-type pokemon.  

Abruptly, the wind began to pick up and loose strands of her hair flailed about her face, twisting together, stinging faintly as these dashed against cheeks. She began to tug absently at the ends of her shirt, feeling an icy touch grip her gullet, resisting an unconscious urge to cover her neck. Overhead, the clouds parted and revealed a sudden wash of silver, spilling over them both. Yuki could now see the gleam of his smile. He had a wild look in his eyes, and something about all of this made her nervous. She swallowed, feeling how her tongue was suddenly too thick and her mouth impossibly dry.

She motioned for Kou to get behind, not trusting the white-haired young man. Enough were fascinated by Kou’s rare colours, and under the cover of darkness, would not hesitate to steal him from her. To her dismay, the Umbreon only stepped in between them, hackles raised high, far beyond anything she had ever seen. The presence in front of them was certainly cause for concern.

“What, you only got the one pokémon?” He was staring pointedly at her waist. The young man’s voice was gruff, and she could hear the irritation in his voice, which was odd for someone who looked like he would rob her of her pokémon, given half the chance—his concern was at odds with the smirk she had just seen.

She silently cursed that her woven belt held only the one pokéball, and that belonged to the Umbreon in front of them. She had never felt unsafe with Kou by her side but now…

Pressing her voice to respond, she was annoyed to hear a slight tremor. “I— I’m not a trainer, I don’t really battle much—”

“Hey, you know the rules, and your pokémon seems ready enough."

Kou growled, and sure enough, his _bristling_ fur withstood even the wind's best efforts. He had started to pace with some agitation, though her own reluctance to fight was obvious.

"Must really suck to be you," the youth taunted.

Yuki agreed with this snap analysis, seeing that this young man would likely not leave without a fight. An unsettling grin reappeared on the young man’s face, and chillingly, it was soon cloaked in darkness as the clouds rushed to overwhelm the moon overhead. It was an omen.

She drew a long breath, praying to whatever gods she had heard were protecting the island. Maybe the Tapus’ favour would shine on her tonight. “First hit wins?” 

For a moment, she thought he had not heard her small, tinny voice amidst the growing winds. A lump of tension crumbled and she started to exhale in relief.

Too late, she saw the arc of his arm, and the ray that pierced out of the ball. “Heh, there’s the spirit—Golisopod, go!”

“A bug-type?" A familiar throb of alarm began just under the skin of her throat. "Kou, _no—_ ”

But her Umbreon had sprung into battle without waiting for a command, its shrill battle-cry piercing the night—quickly cut off as the arthropod pokémon’s attack collided, too fast for any kind of reaction.

* * *

_Rain._

“The name’s Guzma, by the way.” His celebratory smugness had been cut short by a sharp glare, and she now resolved to blink back angry tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes. Maybe if she ignored him he would lose interest and go away.

She had barely noticed the rumbling overhead when she watched Kou’s body crumple from the impact, a direct hit from his Golisopod's pre-emptive strike.

_Plip! Plop!_

Two drops were the only warning. A torrent crashed down almost simultaneously, threatening to sweep them away. 

“Ah crap— what kinda _squall_ just sneaks up on people?” Yuki ignored the young man, cradling Kou and triggering the mechanism to call him back into the ball. Her dislike for bug-catchers flared up anew again. They were persistent and annoyingly so, like the swarms they enjoyed chasing. 

A grip that was surprisingly strong all but yanked her to her feet. “C’mon, we gotta get out of the rain.”

The water began to pelt down, thoroughly drenching the pair that tried to flee the storm.

* * *

_3 hours to rain._

 

  _ **Nameless**._

A low, gong-like note reverberated in his mind. This was the closest thing to a term of endearment the Tapu Bulu was capable of. Nanu had learnt to just respond to the guardian deity no matter what he was called, for no one, not even himself, could win an argument with a god.

 ** _Danger_**.

“Are you… are you warning me?” Missy was off in the bushes somewhere, as was Absol. The pair seemed inseparable now, and the timing couldn’t be any worse. Nanu turned to call for them but found the deity in his way once more, towering as it bore down on him.

**_Nameless. Warn. Again._ **

The urgent tone pulsed, the unease rippled outwards, almost palpable. The beady gaze of the Guardian seemed more than just anxious, and the feeling of dread intensified, flaring down toward the base of his neck. The warmth grew at the back of his mind as he stared at the Tapu in front of him.

**_Fast. Time._ **

There was a kind of contrition in its demeanour, and Nanu remembered the lack of forewarning of the incident from before. Feeling the blood drain from his face, an image of a large storm bearing down on an island flashed through his mind. Winds lashed against windows, yanking at roots of the tallest palm trees. Scurrying pokémon skittered frantically from the tall grass, seeking shelter from the heavy sheets of rain. _This was no ordinary tempest._

“Here?” But his heart already knew the answer, hand immediately grabbing a device from deep within his pants pocket, thumbing hastily for the nearest flying taxi.

**_Melemele._ **


	19. Before

Watching the rain outside, she sighed, and her breath fogged up curiously on the glass. Temperatures seemed to have drained quite drastically, for the rain blanketed everything in sight, a blackness that was darker than the inks she had ever used. It seemed as if she was gazing into a depth that only her nightmares had ever reached, and the feeling of helplessness fell over her again.

It was too cold inside. Her fingertips were icy and she felt a chill settling around her.

But all that mattered was that Kou was in good hands. The nurse was friendly, and very efficient, and she had seemed very concerned when the bug-catcher and her had burst through the door of the PokéCenter, bringing with them a gust and a wash of wetness that had formed puddles around them wherever they went.

At least the bug-catcher – whatever his name was, had the sense to sit away from her. He didn’t seem like the kind to talk.

“Um, I found some towels for you and your friend…” Turning to look at the source of the voice, Yuki nodded and grasped the bundle, noticing that the man was still slouched sullenly on a tall stool in the far opposite of the room. He had dragged two of those next to an indoor plant, arms crossed, and the puddle at his feet seemed strangely neat, as though he were careful to not get any water on the padded furniture near him. 

“He refused it,” the receptionist smiled nervously.

Yuki caught the man staring at them, his eyes dark under the mass of wet white hair, looking away when he saw that she had noticed. She nodded to the woman, whispering her thanks. As the staff walked away, Yuki marched up to the young man, dumping a towel unceremoniously onto his head.

He grabbed the material, grunting unintelligibly.

“You’ll catch a cold if you don’t try to dry off, it's freezing,” she muttered, plopping herself down on the stool he had meant for her, towelling her hair dry. The young man seemed reluctant at first, but he too started using the towel, and somehow, Yuki got the feeling that he was unwilling to catch her eye.

His voice startled her next. “What happened to your neck?”

Her hand shot up so fast to the offending region under her chin, and she had to force herself to keep from picking at the shiny skin. It was now her turn to avoid eye contact. This was when she realised that another person was watching them from another corner, near some book racks. He had his face hidden behind a magazine (where a familiar icy glare stared out at her from the cover), incredibly conspicuous when she paid more attention to the trench-coated figure.

“Well, ya don’t hafta say anything,” he paused, lifting the towel from his hair. “If ya don’t wanna.”

* * *

_2 hours till rain._

Reaching Iki Town in good time, Nanu had marched to Hala’s house, to find the older man poring over a map and what seemed to be evacuation routes, marked in red. It would appear that he too, had heard from Tapu Koko about the impending storm.

Ilima and a few other trial trainers gathered nearby, attempting but failing to look resolute when Nanu burst through the front door. Their breaths of relief did not last long as they were quickly ushered out of the house by the pink-haired captain, who was now handing out an armful of wireless radios, ancient in design, but workable, likely dug out of the archaeological dig that was Hala’s storage room.

“Ah, Nanu. You’re here to assist me?”

“Yeah. As much as I’m sure you can handle it, Bulu was adamant.” Nanu allowed himself a small chuckle, even as tense as they both were.

The white-haired man in front of him crossed his arms, and Nanu saw how though the man had appeared imposing, he too looked as if his composure was starting to waver. “The meteorological institute called this a Category 3 storm. While the shelters are fully stocked, this has never…”

“There’s always a first." Nanu said quietly. “What do I do?”

“Could you help oversee the sandbagging of Hau’oli city’s waterfront? I need to make sure that Iki Town villagers evacuate fully,” he paused. “you know how stubborn some of them can be.”

Having personally met some of the worst offenders on the island, Nanu agreed privately that the other Kahuna would be most effective for that role.

“I’ll send any stragglers up to the shelters from Hau’oli too then?” He knew the places to check.

“…The local police would have already begun moving them, but yes, yes, please do send them up here. Oh wait, Nanu, there appears to be quite a few tourists today. You may want to keep an eye out for them.”

Now that was quite curious, it wasn't tourist season yet.


	20. A Reckoning

_1 hour before rain_

Hala was right, it was quite a crowd that had descended upon the island; men and women in reasonable explorers’ gear, wide-brimmed hats and brightly coloured prints wandered from shuttered store to store. They made loud exclamations of disappointment when they were turned away from even the tourist center. A few were found loitering on the beach, cameras out, eager to catch permanent proof of the large storm that was headed their way. They certainly appeared to be regular tourists, though a bit too calm about the oncoming weather. They even took the news of "suspended ferry services" well, though they were effectively stranded here, away from their hotel on Akala Island.

Now, most sat chatting in the shopping mall Hala had designated as emergency shelter from the storm. The shutters were not yet closed, for the meteorological institute had reduced the storm to that of a Category 1, which meant that the most they would expect are strong winds, some flooding. Whatever it turned out to be, at least most of the people had already been evacuated to a more secure site. Now, the streets were clear of gawking pedestrians and clueless ‘sightseers’. There was something odd about the timing of the tourists that made him wonder if…

No, Looker would have alerted him, _wouldn’t_ he?

This scale of operations would require more than a week’s planning, let alone the inclusion of the sudden epiphany he had recently uncovered earlier that day. If this was really an official response, Headquarters would have mentioned it to the local police, to ensure a smoother working relationship.

Something bigger was brewing, and Nanu did not like the thought of this.

“Officer Nanu, we are done securing the length of the beach,” said a young officer, all stiff and nervous, and his right hand twitched, as if unsure whether a salute was necessary.

Nanu noted the two pokémon he had encased on his belt, and nodded silently, dismissing the officer.

Ten years in the region had done little to endear himself among the local police. He only went to yearly gatherings out of obligation, but he never stayed for longer than half an hour, preferring to leave before the drinking and karaoke began. There was always patrolling duties, disturbance calls to attend to, and so, he did those instead. Nanu was sure he had earned a reputation of being difficult and judgmental when it came to festivities. Some among the officers he had a cordial relationship with, but even those were cursory and maintained only out of necessity. Most only knew him in the capacity of his job, and his title as Kahuna made them nervous.

But all of that didn't matter now; a storm was not defended against with titles or rank. He watched the street from his spot near the window as dusk fell quickly, and with it, the air filled with an oppressive warmth, and silence.

* * *

_Rain_

As soon as the Pokémon Centre staff returned Kou to her, she let him out of the pokéball, gathering him into her arms, turning to look out the window. He didn’t seem any worse for the wear , and his breathing slowed the longer she held him, his bulk spilling out of her bare arms, head nestled on her shoulder, ears relaxing as he settled down to sleep. The young man had offered to keep an eye on the stranger in the trenchcoat, though he did not seem like the sort to do favours for anyone. She knew that he seemed to feel a bit guilty for knocking Kou out. Guess appearances were deceiving, Guzma was not so bad after all.

She noted that the winds outside had started to pick up outside, tall palm trees swayed rather alarmingly, rain lashing almost horizontally when—

_A rip overhead, and then something fell from the sky._

A flash engulfed her eyes and Yuki took a step back from her spot, blinking rapidly to clear her vision, peering out the window. A dull sound in the distance, like a roar, chased the ringing crash of thunder.

Then it happened again. And again. Three things had fallen from the sky, and their descent was cloaked by the large flashes of light that preceded the sounds of super-heated air.

 “I’m sorry everyone, but we need to turn off the lights and non-essential electronics. The last three strikes of lightning were dangerously close, and as such the doors will automatically lock in twenty sec—”

Yuki hoisted the now-heavy Kou onto her shoulder and dashed towards the reinforced doors. Her arms were aching from her pokémon’s weight, but the sudden ball of dread in her innards was definitely not normal.

_Not again._

Ignoring the voice of the pokémon center nurse, she found herself splashing through puddles with a pokémon bouncing on her right shoulder, she squinted up into the sky, but the downpour obscured her vision, and she felt the water draw the rest of her body heat away. Gently letting her pokémon down, she looked about her, and her gaze fell upon the young man who had followed her from the pokémon centre.

Both of them were drenched again.

He called at her from a distance, jogging carefully through the rising streams. “What did ya see— out the window?”           

“I don’t really know… But it’s dangerous to be out here, y—you should go back inside.” She had turned away, trying to spot any sign of the things that fell.

There was a long pause as he caught up to her. “Yeah? Well I’m not the one with only one pokémon.” At this reminder, Yuki saw that Kou was looking up miserably up at her, a little upset at being up to his flanks in water, so she withdrew him back into his ball. The winds were a lot louder now, and she thought she heard something odd in the corner—

The young man moved back into her peripheral view. When she looked back at him, she realised that he was now holding a large black umbrella, no doubt taken as he left the pokécenter, fighting the wind to shelter them from further onslaught by the rain. This did not help much, seeing that the wind was sending the rain almost horizontally at them. It was getting hard to walk within the storm.

Yuki kept a smile from growing on her face. Now was not the time to giggle at her prejudices. “Guzma, right? You know where I can find the police?”

* * *

Nanu had counted at least twelve tourists who wore their pokémon on their hips for easy access. No doubt the rest would have a few stashed away, in their bags, their pockets. They were not ordinary tourists. One excessively overweight man was wearing what appeared to be holsters over his garishly printed shirt, his red toupee doing nothing for his ruddy complexion.

It was only when the sudden crashes and roars outside were heard that Nanu realised too late, that he recognised the man whom he had seen onscreen, only hours before.

It would appear that the International Police was in Alola.

They began to identify themselves to the local officers, before filing out the side gates of the mall. The officers gaped and tried to protest, but rank was pulled and they had no choice but to allow their interference, releasing the metal shutters that had buffered the mall.

The teams spread out immediately, clearly well-trained, though oddly festive in their island attire, pulling on lightweight ponchos as the precipitation grew heavier, obviously prepared. Nanu watched them wordlessly, relying on Honchkrow and Sableye to guide away the swarms of pokémon fleeing the seafront. He didn’t enjoy the feeling of being drenched, nor did he feel any more at ease knowing that Missy and Absol were back on Ula’ula, but he had to make do with who was with him. 

Then, the growl of an Incineroar alerted him to yet another belated discovery— the trainer Moon was here too.

This was truly turning out to be quite the storm.


	21. Turning point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, short chapter. Thank you for reading so far! Now to bring them together!
> 
> Part of the headcanon comes from a tumblr note by sithisis

**Hi, guess I’m your new partner, huh?**

The figure in the doorway belonged to that of a slim teenage girl, dressed warmly in a turtleneck and some trousers. She had been told to report that day to his team. He said nothing, appraising her, leaving it to Looker to introduce them.

_I’m l00ker. We’re just here to assist 000, not that he really needs any help, of course. Good to meet you._

The girl touched her neck gingerly, as if a nervous habit, taking only two steps into the room as the other man moved to shut the door. The peaks of what looked like severe trauma could be seen over the top of the Agency-issued turtleneck, red and angry lesions that had been detailed in the report. She was very self-conscious about them, and they seemed to hurt when she felt strong emotions.

**Hi.**

Her voice shook a little, but she addressed him directly, gaze locking onto his with the faintest hesitation.

He allowed himself a smile in response, just to put her at ease. She grinned, though clearly struggling with several emotions.

Don’t you have any pokémon?

**Oh I… I don't have any. Didn't have any when...**

The report had mentioned that too. He turned away, handing her a briefcase he had prepared for this first meeting.

They're yours.

* * *

Nanu nodded in response when Moon gave him a small wave, her Incineroar and Raichu driving back the new swarms that had burst from the sky. Small Ultra Beasts had ejected through the wormholes, and though not as strong as the last _Absorptions_ and _Beauties_ , their appearance and attacks were cause for some alarm, though no match for Moon or himself.

The quiet girl used newly upgraded beastballs, developed specially to catch these UBs. Aether Paradise was holding up its terms well, to develop more powerful capturing devices for use. Yet, her actions seemed to have caused the Interpol agents some alarm. The resultant ripple of human movement in her direction told Nanu a fair bit more than what he had guessed from earlier.

They appeared to be inching closer to Moon.

* * *

“Is that…”

“A wave of pokémon?”

Both of them stared through the sheets of rain at the sickly purple wave that had washed some creatures ashore. These slipped out of the water, rising above the ground, floating, tentacles seeming to taste the air, before appearing to move as a group, towards a crowd of people who appeared to be battling a buzzing horde of smaller, bug-like creatures a distance away.

 Yuki tugged his arm. “They’re going to attack them if we don’t do something!”

“I’ve seen those. The _pololia_ —the jellyfish things. They’re dange—”

But she was already off, charging through the rain, towards the converging swarms.

* * *

**You’re just giving me pokémon?**

You will be in the field. This is so that you would not be a liability.

He had not been told to give her pokémon, and now L00ker was staring at him from behind her, raising an eyebrow. 

**Well, what are they? Do I just pick one?**

She just stared at the two devices, looking confused. 

No, you can take them bo- Have you not had pokémon before?

But he now saw that she had a poorly-hidden grin, reaching over and taking the briefcase into her lap, carefully pressing the release of one ultra ball. The pokémon materialised, and he watched as she smiled a small smile at it, eyes darting up to meet his again. A warm feeling had started to fill his chest. She looked back down at the pokémon that was now butting its head into her chest and began to stroke the gleaming coin on the pokémon’s head.

**Shiny.**

She said, almost breathless in her excitement.

**I’ll call you Mitsu. Missy for short.**

 

 


	22. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, some more fillers. Soon, I promise!

**What’s wrong with wanting to help the UBs get home?**

You can’t help it.

**Why not?**

… You’re barely even a pokémon trainer. How are you going to help?

* * *

Nanu had managed to position himself within arm’s reach of Moon, and he watched her out of the corner of his eye, suspicious. The child was certainly battling with vigour, grim determination on her face as she ordered Incineroar and Raichu to trap the horde between the agents and herself. She seemed to be running low on the beast-capturing balls, turning wildly to him.

“Get behind me, now.” He gestured urgently, and he felt a pang that he had once said these to another person, a long time ago.

But Moon only nodded, dashing behind him, rummaging through her bag as she did so. She seemed to be searching for something, before flinging two red things at her pokémon. Astoundingly, her pokémon both jumped and swallowed, and Nanu found himself gaping at the ridiculous sight.

“Leppa berries,” the girl answered, grinning.

Once again, he found himself at a loss for words.

* * *

**It’s not fair that you read all about me in those reports… What’s your name?**

Stick to the codenames.

**Yeah but I’m not given one. Seems unfair. Tell me!**

He sighed despairingly, glancing over at l00ker who was avoiding eye-contact.

Nanu.

**Na-nu. Na. Nu. What’s it short for?**

He blinked slowly, deliberately, and a gleam entered one carmine-pupiled eye.

Nanuofyourbusiness.

Watching her first duck her head, convulsing as she tried to remain serious, considering their current mission, he suppressed his own urge to follow-suit. Her laughs were happy sounds of pure glee following the swallowed gulp of surprise, ringing unexpectedly loud, yet pleasant, filling the room. Somehow, Nanu felt gratified, at having made the awful pun.

* * *

“Kou! Psychic on that one!” Her finger directed her pokémon’s aim, and though she felt some pity when she saw the creature writhe in pain, she could not stop. Both her and Guzma were able to intercept most of the horde, but somehow, attracted a somewhat swifter approach, backing away as the jellyfish floated purposefully towards them.

She saw Guzma shudder when one raised an appendage in his direction. Even his Scizor glanced at him, its wings buzzing worriedly, moving between them, one arm extended, readying for an attack.

But the young man gave no command, starting to shake all over, even as he stood his ground, clenching his teeth.

“Dark pulse!” Kou bounded in front of his own target, releasing a wave of negative energy that was both disruptive and expansive, its noxiousness affecting the other creatures caught in its radius. These sank to the ground feebly, gelatinous masses that resembled puddles of liquid. They appeared to be safe, for now.

Yuki was suddenly seized with the curiosity to poke one, strange as they were, and as she leaned forward, a cold hand grabbed hers, pulling her attention back to reality. She realised that the rain seemed to be thinning… as did the strength of the wind.

“Urgh, don’t touch them—” the scowl on Guzma’s face returned, as did the colour in his cheeks.

“Are you… feeling better?”

But the young man had already thrusted his shoulders forward, stalking grumpily to the group in the distance, Scizor followed behind him, hovering above-ground, careful to dodge the splashes from his heavy footfalls.

* * *

**So Nanu, what do you really think of me?**

What?

They had not spoken since the incident. She had been hard at work, training her pokémon, an activity that certainly did not need his supervision. Her favourite was the Meo—well it was a Persian now. She frequently fell asleep with it draped over her, and the shiny Eevee had its place on her pillow, next to her head.

**I know you and l00ker have been writing reports. Care to share what you wrote in them?**

No.

They were need-to-know only. She certainly did not.

**Okay.**

She always seemed to know what was expected of her, which was worrying. He had more than once woken up to find her poring over articles and geographical maps that had detailed the layout of the area. She worked with a desperation that spoke more about her emot— than what she chose to reveal. She had voiced the idea of camping out in the wilderness, so that they could better search for the elusive creature, exactly how they had all planned it to be.

She had surprised him by taking more of him than he had ever given of himself.

**You can’t just kill it.**

It’s not a pet.

**Maybe instead, the lab can study it, and then we can develop a machine to send it back.**

It’s not that simple.

**Says you, but we haven’t even tried that yet.**

_ I know you want to go home. Me too. But isn't home where the heart is? _


	23. Storm's Passing

 

“The storm… stopped?” Kou and her had finally caught up to the young man, his white shock of hair somewhat tamed by moisture. And though he still stood apart from her, she saw a faint tremble in his clenched fists. The winds had stopped completely, as did the rain. This… was the eye of the storm?

“Come on, we gotta get indoors,” Guzma called as his Scizor cleared a way for them through the wreckage with slashes, and they picked their way through, rubble that had been picked up and flung by the winds. She could see the group of trainers battling from this distance, and some of their pokémon seemed too… uniform for holidaying tourists.

* * *

“Moon, be careful,” he muttered under his breath as she moved from behind him, still a little annoyed that the child had managed to produce so many Beast balls from her bag. No need to capture the Ultra Beasts when no one had any use for them. Well, not everyone. He knew that some within the International Police was looking into using the Ultra Beasts in dealing with wormholes. They would most definitely be very interested in Moon, and her growing collection of UBs.

Honchkrow’s caw broke through his thoughts as it landed next to him, where Sableye had retreated. They looked a little worn-out, glad for the respite that the winds had stilled. Nanu observed that the fleeing hordes of pokémon had also waned, though all of them seemed to understand that this would not last. He watched as Moon started to pick up the captured UBs, her pokémon helping with these, seeking out the objects and guarding them from the curious gazes of the humans around them.

“Officer, a word, if you please.” The large man from before the storm approached him, his red toupee tucked into band of the pokéball holsters lining his chest. Nanu only surveyed the man calmly, but his attention was caught by a familiar head of white hair coming towards him. Guzma?

* * *

 

**We are not killing it.**

_It is literally a threat to human life._

This came from l00ker, who was starting to despair of this familiar argument.

**And we’re the threat to its life.**

Seems only fair. It’s devoured a vehicle, ruined three buildings in its rampage.

He did not expect her to turn, yanking him away from l00ker, glaring up into his eyes.

**Promise me you won’t kill it. I… stocked up on pokéballs for this very reason.**

He sighed, her stubbornness was turning out to be quite legendary. The most he could muster was a shrug. He could not promise her anything more, but he would try to delay the inevitable.

Fine. But only if you prove to me you can handle yourself in a battle.

**Fine, I intend to.**

And just like that, her smile returned. Fooled, by that lie.

_ I wish I had killed it, that first time. _

* * *

It all happened so fast, the storm’s fury returned as the winds moved further inland, and these began to tear up the distant boardwalk, flinging planks, smaller boats, tossing these carelessly. The whistling built up into a roar again, not one minute since the chaos quietened.

“This isn’t the time for petty jurisdiction squabbles,” Nanu turned to gesture to his pokémon, turning away from the stout man in his garish shirt.

The smug tone annoyed him especially from this distance. “I’m simply telling you to stay out of our investigation.”

* * *

**_You._ **

A word pulsed in her head, and the shock of it caused her to trip, and she fell to her knees just as an immense shadow loomed in the horizon, cloaked by the wall that was the edge of the storm’s eye. The one glimpse seemed to trigger some kind of reaction in her, and she felt her throat start to pulse with anxiety, the scar flaring up for the first time in a while. Kou bounded back to her, squeezing between her and the ground, nudging her upright.

“Something’s coming,” she muttered to herself. She got to her feet, shakily checking her legs for wounds and aches. She glanced at the dark shape in the distance, all but running towards the buildings that lay ahead. Shelter from the storm would be best.

Guzma was waiting for her as she closed the gap between them, they were so close to shelter now. But he was staring at something over her shoulder.

“Get indoors, now,” another familiar voice called out. It and its owner had haunted her dreams.

A fat man moved to block her way as he saw them approach. “You – wait a minute, young lady –”

The winds and rain swirled around them once more, picking up speeds that would soon be impossible to outrun. She was sure that the figure behind her was much closer now.

Suddenly, she felt a kind of tearing begin in her head, ripping into unseen flesh and burning the edges of her skull.

_The image of a wormhole pierced her thoughts._

_They were so high up, over the ground._

_Feeling herself falling as the hole closed, cutting off the world beyond._

_Fear and dread began to wash over her._

**_Let me leave._ **

Yuki had shoved Guzma out of the way, and not a moment too soon, for the large black trunk slammed into the spot that he had just vacated, barely missing her own position to its left.

**_Gatekeeper._ **

It was… speaking to her?

**_Open. Home._ **

I don’t know how?

**_Liar. Smell of home._ **

* * *

Nanu saw the young woman duck beneath the next sweep of its impossibly long appendages, but the impact of it hitting the ground sent her flying. Its rampage seemed too messy and chaotic, almost as if…

It all clicked. This UB05 appeared to be blind, no wonder it had never found its way back to another wormhole. Nanu cursed again, glancing at his struggling Honchkrow and a panting Sableye. Neither of them were in good shape, and glancing at his belt, he knew that his last healthy pokémon, Krookodile, was not going to be of much help in the rain and flooded streets.

“Get away from him!” Moon screamed. Nanu looked up at the sound to find a UB01, the largest Symbiont he had ever seen, gliding near. Its tentacles glowed ominously.

 


	24. Gatekeeper

For some reason, the memories had been coming back from… They only made him more determined to keep an eye out for the child next to him, as a warning of what could happen if he didn’t. He wasn’t sure how long the battles had been going on for, but he was keenly aware that soon, their pokémon’s endurance would begin to flag.

Got your radio?

**Yeah.**

…

**Hey Na- I mean, 000 sir, after this...**

Focus on the mission… kid.

**But— okay.**

… You can call me Nanu when it’s just us.

Awkwardly, he patted her shoulder. She blinked up at him and he pretended not to notice, though they were both aware that it was the first time he had ever touched her voluntarily. 

* * *

“Kou—” she struggled once more to her feet, staring at the mass of the creature in front of her. The winds were still buffeting them both, and the roaring seemed to completely isolate her. Smiling as she felt the Umbreon brush up against her, Yuki felt reassured, glad that he was still with her. Kou could always be counted on to take care of her.

_**Gatekeeper.** _

“What are you talking about?” Would it hear her through the storm?

_**Home.** _

Its movements seemed almost-clumsy to her as it crashed through torn up pieces of wood on its way to her, almost slipping on several palm tree trunks in the way. Howling, the winds seemed to grow even more, and she found herself slipping a little from her position, having to actively lean forward against the force, actively fighting against it. Kou huddled against her too, leaning against her legs in an effort to not be separated.

She saw that its attempts were slow and heavy, and though it was not slowed by the storm, it struggled visibly, arms flailing and snapping at all objects within reach. The massive bulk gained no distance in this weather. Unable to tear her own eyes from watching its struggle, she continued to walk slowly, back towards shelter, nudging debris away from her intended path carefully. This was when a hand grabbed her shoulder, and she jerked around in shock, almost losing her balance. She realised that this iron grip belonged to Guzma, who was also pulling her back towards where the buildings were. Scizor guarded their approach by quietly gauging the creature ahead with a raised pincer, ready to fire.

A scream pierced through the loud whirling around them, and they both turned around wildly, suddenly aware of more danger behind them.

* * *

Nanu gritted his teeth as a thick translucent tentacle grabbed ahold of his wrist, there was no deterring the UB’s grip. Honch and Sab were too worried of accidentally injuring him to attack the large, amorphous creature.

Still, he continued to pull away, though the thought of resisting started to… become a bit… distant. Nanu felt his breathing become slow and heavy but could only gape as the gelatinous structure began to travel up his arm, deadening more nerves the higher it spread.

The colours started to bleed into each other, and Nanu began to tire of this fighting.

Struggling throughout the years of self-imposed exile.

The memories or lack thereof when he drank.

Oblique thoughts of self-destruction.

Pathetic rank-and-file Kahunas.

Mediocre life. 

End it.

 

 

“Let go of him.”

He cracked open an eyelid and saw a familiar Umbreon, and something it did was bathing them both in an unearthly glow. He felt a bit... better, almost energised.

* * *

 

"Kou, psychic, force it back." The coldness in her voice shocked even her as her pokémon obeyed. Nothing else seemed to matter. 


	25. Second Chances

The creature’s tentacles slipped off the police officer’s arm as it started to writhe and stumble backwards (as much as a floating jellyfish could) off to their left, hovering only slightly above the ground . She noticed that it was now directly under what appeared to be a portal to another dimension. True enough, her split-second guess was right. Out of all those she and Guzma had battled, this was the one species that had seemed intelligent enough to manoeuvre its way back to the wormholes. They were certainly intelligent enough to grab hostages.

She glanced over to a figure that had dashed over to them and was currently kneeling over the policeman. _He_ seemed to be breathing, and appeared conscious enough, struggling to sit upright. Watching the small figure shake the man, she realized that it was a child, a little girl with short dark hair. This was when she felt as if some kind of switch had flipped inside her mind. There was something familiar about that image.

* * *

She had been trying so hard not to cry, hands gripping the edge of her shirt when Missy fainted from her struggles to break out of Krook’s Sand Tomb. This was the third time they had battled, and still, her inability to come up with a proper strategy and help Missy to escape these traps was extremely demoralising. Maybe she wasn’t suitable as a trainer.

… It’s not her fault.

**But it is mine.**

Well, you don’t want to evolve Kou—

**I’m not going to force him to evolve with a special stone—**

But you would be more likely to beat me with a Vaporeon on your team.

**He doesn’t want to evolve, okay? Anyway I spent all my pocket money.**

Already? What, on pokécakes?

She had a sweet tooth as did her pokémon, but that wasn’t it. This just wasn’t working out.

**Hey Nanu… could you take care of Missy for me?**

What, you’re giving up?

**No, I just… I think I should focus on Kou. He’s going to need the battle experience.**

…

**Besides… She already likes you so that’s a good fit right there.**

Sure... You’re going to take her back once Kou gets better, right?

She raised her pink, puffy eyes to meet his, and smiled.

**Of course.**

* * *

The wetness was starting to chill, and the winds were slowing again. A nudge jolted her out of the sudden stupor, and she jerked upright in response. Shaking her head to get rid of the haze that seemed to have settled quite abruptly, she opened her eyes and found herself staring at the retreating creature, Guzma at her back. He appeared to have brought out a Masquerain to join his Scizor, and both pokémon excelled at battles from a distance. The dark, gigantic form that thrashed about in the distance was coming closer, though it was still clear that it was quite blind.

“Yo, any ideas on howta get rid of Big Bad ‘n’ Scary over here?”

“Enough,” she brought her hand down in a cutting motion and Kou stopped pushing back the gelatinous creature with his psychic attacks, making his way back to her side. He was panting a little but seemed alright for the most part. Wishing she had a berry to give him as a reward, Yuki gave his back a quick, reassuring scratch. Now was not the time to pick berries. They had to see if _it_ would take the bait.

“Guzma, I’m going to need your pokémon to fire projectiles at it. Draw it this way—”

“I’ll help,” a quiet voice came from her right, and it was the little girl, who was followed by her Raichu. Her large bipedal tiger— the Incineroar— was helping the policeman to his feet.

“Moon, stay out of this, it’s dangerous—” Guzma was frowning again, and it made him look a bit menacing.

“Nope,” the girl said, folding her arms obstinately. “I’m going to help.” Yuki was already liking her attitude.

“What’s your plan?” The low, gruff voice sent a chill down her back. Avoiding meeting his eyes, she raised an arm and pointed out the strange portal. This was also when they all realised that the rain was lightening into a mild drizzle.

* * *

“We’re going to force them into that.” She was refusing to look at him again. Though he still felt a bit ill from the UB’s attempt to swallow him alive, Nanu couldn’t help but protest a little when he heard the woman’s plan. He had not expected his voice to come off so harsh.

“And then what? They’re just going to keep coming unless we can find a way to close it—”

“I still have Leo,” the little girl pulled out a pokéball from her little bag.

“Leo can close that?”

“Yup.”

“Well then, that’s settled,” Yuki picked up Kou, giving him a very brief hug as she directed the others to their positions. “Kou and I will block off Mr Jellyfish’s escape, then Guzma and Mr Policeman will attempt to attract the black tree thing, and then Moon, you have to close the hole with Leo, okay?” She had started to turn away, but not before the little girl had caught her hand, silently giving her two strange looking pokéballs. The two of them would definitely get along well, which was probably a good thing, though he imagined that this was going to spell trouble for himself. 

“Just in case,” she had whispered. Yuki nodded and closed her hand, tucking them away. Nanu took the time to pick his way across the area, so that he could flank the UB as it sped his way. This movement also attracted an agent, a woman who was turning a bit blue in the freezing rain. 

* * *

**Hey Nanu, you know what they say about the best-laid plans, right?**

Don’t jinx it.

**Hey, someone’s gotta say it.**

* * *

At first, it seemed to all go wrong, and Yuki and Kou found it hard to corral the floating beast— a Symbiont, as she had been told. An Ultra Beast from another dimension, one which seemed more and more desperate to escape, even making a grab for them both. Thankfully, the form of the black, house-sized creature soon barrelled into it, forcing it backwards into the crack up in the air. She turned back to check on both Guzma and Nanu, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that they and their pokémon were both unharmed. Yuki then saw a large, reflective pokémon leap up from next to Moon, using some kind of ray to seal the large crack in the sky.

She couldn’t believe it. The plan had actually worked. The mild ache in her neck had finally subsided, and coincidentally, so did the rain. It was done, and they were all safe. Recalling Kou back into his ball for some rest, she took a deep breath and held it, before releasing the tension within. She wished that she had a similar safe receptacle to sleep in. The day had felt like months of hard labour.

That voice spoke up from behind her, unexpectedly close. "Someone has to say it, but I can't believe that went well."

Her face cracked involuntarily into a smile. Yeah, things rarely worked out around her. "Me neither."

She kept her eyes trained on the distance, pretending to look out at the wreckage, watching Leo (a shiny... Lion?) rub up against a very uncomfortable Guzma. The man was now next to her. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” He wasn't much taller, but something about him always intimidated her. 

"We last met at the beach, I think?" She tried to keep her voice light, but her hurried reply had told him all that he needed to know.

The murmured response in her ear greatly quickened her heart rate. "I mean of course, from before all this."

Something in his voice forced her meet his gaze, and she saw that his look of recognition had mirrored her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are, never thought we'd see the day. *cries*  
> Let me know if you would like to read sequels (as I've left quite a bit unexplored in writing), or would like to bounce ideas off/make requests etc.
> 
> Thanks for keeping up so far, I appreciate your support.


End file.
